OUflTAl 


-Ou  VE-PERCI VAL  - 


THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 


r 


PHILADELPHIA: 

HENRY  T.  COATES  &  CO. 


THE  ROCKY  MOUNTAIN  SERIES. 


FRANK 


IN   THE   MOUNTAINS 


BY 


HARRY  CASTLEMON, 

AUTHOR  OF  "  THK  GUN-BOAT  SERIES,"    "  THE  GOAHKAB 
SERIES,"   ETC. 


PHILADELPHIA 
HENRY  T.  COAXES  &  CO. 


FAMOUS  CASTLEMON  BOOKS. 


GUNBOAT  SERIES.    By  HARRY  CASTLEMON.    6vols.    12rao. 

FRANK  THE  YOUNG  NATURALIST.  FRANK  ON  A  GUNBOAT. 

FRANK  IN  THE  WOODS.  FRANK  BEFORE  VICKSBURO. 

FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI.        FRANK  ON  THE  PRAIRIE. 

ROCKY  MOUNTAIN  SERIES.     By  HARRY  CASTLEMON.     3  vols.    12mo. 

Cloth. 

FRANK  AMONG  THE  RANCHEROS.        FRANK  AT  DON  CARLOS'  RANCH. 
FRANK  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

SPORTSMAN'S  CLUB  SERIES.    By  HARRY  CASTLEMON.    3  vols.   12nio. 
*  Cloth. 

THE  SPORTSMAN'S  CLUB  IN  THE  SADDLE. 
THE  SPORTSMAN'S  CLUB  AFLOAT. 
THE  SPORTSMAN'S  CLUB  AMONG  THE  TRAPPERS. 

FRANK    NELSON    SERIES.     By   HARRY  CASTLEMON.     3  vols.     12mo. 

Cloth. 
SNOWED  UP.         FRANK  IN  THE  FORECASTLE.         THE  BOY  TRADERS. 

BOY  TRAPPER  SERIES.    By  HARRY  CASTLEMON.    3  vols.    12mo.   Cloth. 
THE  BURIED  TREASURE.      THE  BOY  TRAPPER.      THE  MAIL-CARRIER. 

ROUGHING  IT  SERIES.    By  HARRY  CASTLEMON.    3  vols.    12mo.    Cloth. 
GEORGE  IN  CAMP.     GEORGE  AT  THE  WHEEL.     GEORGE  AT  THE  FORT. 

ROD  AND  GUN  SERIES.    By  HARRY  CASTLEMON.  3  vols.   12mo.    Cloth. 
DON  GORDON'S  SHOOTING  Box.  ROD  AND  GUN  CLUB. 

THE  YOUNG  WILD  FOWLERS. 

GO-AHEAD  SERIES.    By  HARRY  CASTLEMON.    3  vote.    12mo.    Cloth. 
TOM  NEWCOMBE.  GO-AHEAD.  No  Moss. 

FOREST  AND  STREAM  SERIES.    By  HARRY  CASTLEMON.  3  vols.  12mo. 

Cloth. 
JOE  WAYRING.  SNAGGED  AND  SUNK.  STEEL  HORSE. 

WAR  SERIES.    By  HARRY  CASTLEMON.    5  vols.    12mo.    Cloth. 
TRUE  TO  HIS  COLORS.  RODNEY  THE  PARTISAN. 

RODNEY  THE  OVERSEER.  MARCY  THE  BLOCKADE-RUNNER. 

MARCY  THE  REFUGEE. 

Other  Volume*  in  Preparation. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1868,  by 
R.  W.  CARROLL  &  CO., 

In  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court,  of  the  United  States, 
fur  the  Southern  District  of  Ohio. 


COFYKTCHT,  16D6,  BY  OHABLE8  A. 


503746 

EDUCATION 


PZ 

1 


CP  WTER  I.  "»» 

Ttie  Foot-race, * 

CHAPTER  II. 

Came  of  It, * 


CHAPTER  III. 
Frank  Learns  Someili'Dg ,       .     84 

CHAPTER  IV. 
The  Tripper  a  Prircner, •       .  48 

CHAPTER  V. 
Archie  Finds  a  few  Uncle,  ....  ...     66 

CHAPTER  VL 
The  Medicino-man, 85 

CHAPTER  VII. 
In  the  Mountains, 102 

CHAPTER  VIII. 
Frank's  Friend,  the  Grizzly, 123 


CHAPTER  IK 

Adam  Brent's  Story, 

fill) 


IV  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  X.  FAOB 

Turning  out  a  Panther, 159 

CHAPTER  XL 
Frank  in  Search  of  his  Supper, 181 

CHAPTER  XII. 
Adam  Besieged          ••••••••••   200 

CHAPTER  XHL 
Dick  in  a  New  Character,     ....  ...   219 

CHAPTBR  XIV. 
A  Ride  for  Life .238 


CHAPTER  XV. 
roncluslon, 


FRANK  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS. 


CHAPTER  I. 

THE    FOOT-EACE. 

sultry  afternoon  in  September,  about 
four  weeks  after  the  occurrence  of  the 
events  we  have  attempted  to  describe  in  the 
second  volume  of  this  series,  Frank  and  Archie 
found  themselves  comfortably  settled  in  new 
quarters,  hundreds  of  miles  from  the  scene  of 
their  recent  exploits.  According  to  arrange- 
ment, they  accompanied  Captain  Porter  on  his 
expedition,  and  in  due  time  encamped  a  short 
distance  from  an  old  Indian  trading-post,  in 
the  very  heart  of  the  Rocky  Mountains. 

The  journey   across   the   plains,   from  Fort 
Yuma  on  the  Colorado  to  the  head-waters  of 

the  Missouri,  was  accomplished  without  danger 

(5) 


6  FRANK    IN  THE    MOUNTAIN'S. 

or  difficulty.  The  expedition  traveled  rapidly, 
and  the  only  incidents  that  occurred  to  relieve 
the  monotony  of  the  ride  were  a  buffalo  hunt 
and  a  chase  after  a  drove  of  wild  horses.  Ou 
these  occasions  the  cousins  gained  hearty  ap- 
plause from  the  trappers — Frank  by  his  skill 
with  the  rifle,  and  Archie  by  his  persevering 
but  unsuccessful  efforts  to  capture  one  of  the 
wild  steeds. 

Had  a  stranger  been  dropped  suddenly  into 
the  midst  of  the  scenes  with  which  the  boys 
were  now  surrounded,  he  could  scarcely  have 
realized  that  he  was  miles  and  miles  outside 
of  a  fence,  and  in  the  heart  of  a  wilderness 
which  but  a  few  years  before  had  been  in  un- 
disputed possession  of  savages.  The  boys  could 
hardly  believe  it  themselves.  If  the  fort,  the 
trappers,  and  the  Indian  camp  had  been  re- 
uoved,  Frank  and  Archie  could  easily  have 
imagined  that  they  were  in  the  midst  cf  a 
thriving  farming  region,  and  that  they  had 
only  to  cross  to  the  other  side  of  the  mountains 
to  find  themselves  in  the  streets  of  a  prosper- 
ous and  growing  city.  The  country  looked 
civilized.  There  were  well-filled  barns,  rich 


THE  FOOT-RACE.  7 

fields  of  grain  waiting  to  be  harvested,  and  a 
herd  of  cattle  standing  under  the  shade  of  the 
trees  on  the  banks  of  the  clear  dancing  trout 
brook,  which  flowed  by  within  a  stone's  throw 
of  the  house.  There  were  wagons  moving  to 
and  fro,  between  the  barns  and  the  fields,  flocks 
of  noisy  ducks  and  hens  wandering  about,  and 
Archie  said  he  was  every  moment  expecting  to 
see  a  company  of  school-children  come  trooping 
by,  with  their  dinner-baskets  on  their  arms. 

There  was  one  thing  that  did  not  look  ex- 
actly right,  and  that  was  the  farm-house.  It 
was  built  of  sun-dried  bricks,  its  walls  were 
thick,  and  provided  with  loop-holes,  and  around 
it  were  the  ruins  of  the  palisade  that  had  once 
served  it  as  a  protection  against  the  Indians. 

The  farm-house  was  situated  in  the  center 
of  a  delightful  valley,  which  was  surrounded 
on  all  sides  by  lofty  mountains.  In  one  corner 

9 

of  the  valley,  and  in  plain  view  of  the  house, 
was  Fort  Stockton,  the  trading-post  of  which 
wo  have  spoken.  Outside  the  walls  a  band  of 
Indians,  about  a  hundred  in  number,  was  en- 
camped. They  had  come  there  to  dispose  of 
their  furs,  and  were  now  having  a  glorious  time 


8  FRANK  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

among  themselves,  being  engaged  in  various 
sports,  such  as  running,  wrestling,  jumping, 
riding,  and  shooting  at  a  mark.  In  a  little 
grove  between  the  house  and  the  fort  the  trap- 
pers belonging  to  Captain  Porter's  expedition 
had  made  their  camp,  and  the  Captain  himself 
sat  on  the  porch,  smoking  his  long  Indian 
pipe,  and  conversing  with  Mr.  Brent,  the 
owner  of  the  rancho.  These  gentlemen  were 
old  acquaintances  and  friends,  having  formerly 
been  engaged  in  the  fur  trade  together;  and 
when  the  expedition  made  its  appearance  in 
the  valley,  Mr.  Brent  insisted  that  the  Captain 
and  his  young  friends  should  make  their  head- 
quarters at  his  house,  until  they  were  ready  to 
resume  their  journey.  The  boys  willingly  ac- 
cepted the  invitation — Frank  for  the  reason 
that  there  was  a  well-filled  library  in  the 

house,  and  Archie   because   he  wanted   to   be 

*  • 

near  a  new  acquaintance  he  had  made. 

Close  beside    the    stairs   which   led    to    the 
porch,  Dick  and  old  Bob  lay  stretched  out  on 
their  blankets,  listening  to  the  yells  of  the  In 
dians,  and  watching  all  that  was  going  on  in 
the  camp;   and,  if  one  might  judge  by  their 


THE  FOOT-RACE.  9' 

looks  and  actions,  they  were  not  at  all  pleased 
with  the  state  of  affairs.  Indeed,  they  had 
kept  up  a  constant  grumbling  ever  since  they 
came  into  the  valley,  and  had  repeatedly  de- 
clared that  they  had  never  expected  to  see  the 
day  that  Indians  would  be  permitted  to  come 
into  a  white  settlement  and  carry  things  with 
so  high  a  hand. 

"Times  aint  as  they  used  to  be,  Bob,"  said 
Dick,  knocking  the  ashes  from  his  pipe,  and 
filling  up  for  a  fresh  smoke.  "When  me  an' 
ole  Bill  Lawson  trapped  in  this  yere  valley, 
years  ago,  I  never  thought  that  I  should  set- 
here,  as  I  do  now,  an'  let  a  hul  tribe  of 
screech  in'  varlets  jump  about  afore  my  very 
eyes,  without  drawin'  a  bead  on  some  of  'em. 
This  country  is  ruined ;  I  can  see  that  easy 
enough." 

"  Dick  is  growling  again,"  said  Archie. 
"  If  he  could  have  his  own  way,  there  would  n't 
be  an  Indian  in  the  world  by  this  time  to- 
morrow." 

The  cousins  occupied  an  elevated  position  on 
the  porch,  from  which  they  could  observe  the 
proceedings  in  the  Indian  camp.  Near  them 


10  FRANK   IN  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

stood  the  sou  of  the  owner  of  the  rancho,  Adam 
Brent.  He  was  about  Archie's  age  and  size, 
only  a  little  more  thick-set  and  muscular ;  and 
with  his  brown,  almost  copper-colored  com- 
plexion, dark  eyes,  and  long  black  hair,  might 
easily  have  passed  for  an  Indian.  His  dress 
consisted  of  a  hunting  shirt  of  heavy  cloth, 
buckskin  Leggins  and  moccasins,  and  a  fur  cap, 
which  he  wore  both  summer  and  winter. 

Our  heroes  had  made  some  alterations  in 
their  costumes  since  we  last  saw  them.  They 
had  worn  the  Mexican  dress  while  in  Califor- 
nia, because  it  was  particularly  adapted  to  the 
warm  climate;  but  now  they  had  discarded 
their  wide  pants  for  buckskin  trowsers  and 
leggins,  although  they  still  held  to  their  som- 
breros, light  shoes,  and  jackets. 

The  boys  had  spent  but  three  days  at  Mr. 
Brent's  rancho,  but  they  were  already  famous, 
for  Dick  and  Bob  had  never  neglected  an  op- 
portunity to  relate  the  story  of  their  adventures 
and  exploits  in  California.  When  they  visited 
the  fort,  the  officers  and  soldiers  looked  at  them 
as  though  they  had  been  some  curious  wild 
animals;  the  trappers  belonging  to  the  expe- 


THE  FOOT-RACE.  11 

dition  treated  them  with  a  great  deal  of  re- 
spect; and  their  new  acquaintance,  Adara 
Brent,  acknowledged  that  he  had  been  greatly 
mistaken  in  the  opinions  he  had  formed  con- 
cerning boys  from  the  States.  They  arose  still 
higher  in  his  estimation  before  he  bade  them 
good-by. 

When  Archie  spoke,  Bob  and  Dick  raised 
themselves  on  their  elbows  and  looked  at  him. 

"Yes,  little  un,  I  am  growlin'  agin,"  said 
the  latter ;  "  an'  I  reckon  you  'd  growl  too,  if 
you  knowed  as  much  about  them  Injuns  as  I 
do.  I  '11  allow  that  if  I  could  have  my  way 
thar  would  n't  be  as  many  of  'em  by  this  time 
to-morrow  as  thar  are  now,  but  I  wouldn't 
like  to  sweep  'em  out  of  the  world  by  any  on- 
nateral  means.  I  '11  tell  you  what  I  'd  do,"  he 
added,  pointing  to  the  grove  in  which  the  trap- 
pers were  encamped.  "Thar  are  twenty  fine 
fellers  layin'  around  under  them  trees,  an'  I 
like  'em,  'cause  they're  honest  men,  an'  hate 
Injuns  as  bad  as  I  do.  I  'd  say  to  'em  :  'Boys, 
get  up  an'  show  them  ar'  red  skins  what  sort  of 
stuff  you're  made  of!'  They'd  do  it  in  a 
minit,  an'  be  glad  of  the  chance ;  an'  thar  'd 


12  FRANK  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

be  a  thinnin'  out  of  them  Injun's  ranks  that 
would  do  your  eyes  good  to  look  at." 

"Perhaps  some  of  you  would  get  thinned 
out  too,"  said  Frank.  "  Those  Indians  are  all 
well  armed." 

"  I  know  that ;  but  I,  fur  one,  would  be 
willin'  to  run  the  risk.  I  do  n't  like  to  see 
'em  playin'  about  that  ar  way.  When  I  walk 
through  their  camp,  it  is  as  hard  fur  me  to 
keep  from  pitchin'  into  one  of  'em  as  it  is  for 
a  duck  to  keep  out  of  the  water." 

"  Let 's  go  down  there,"  said  Archie.  "  I  'd 
like  to  see  what  is  going  on." 

Frank  replied  by  picking  up  his  hat;  while 
Adam  looked  toward  his  father,  who  shook  his 
head  very  decidedly.  The  cousins  were  a  good 
deal  surprised  at  this,  and  they  had  been  sur- 
prised at  the  same  thing  more  than  once  during 
their  short  stay  at  the  rancho.  Adam  was 
never  allowed  to  go  anywhere,  unless  his  father 
went  with  him.  Mr.  Brent  kept  watch  of  him 
night  and  day,  and  never  appeared  to  be  at  ease 
if  his  son  was  out  of  his  sight.  He  seemed  to 
be  afraid  that  some  mischief  would  befall  him 
unless  he  kept  him  constantly  under  his  eye. 


THE  FOOT-RACE.  13 

"  You  will  have  to  go  without  me,"  said 
Adam,  with  some  disappointment  in  his  tone. 

"  Do  n't  you  get  tired  of  staying  about  the 
house  all  the  time?"  asked  Archie.  "  I  'd  dry 
up  like  a  mummy,  for  want  of  some  jolly  exer- 
cise to  stir  up  my  blood." 

"  I  do  get  very  tired  of  it,"  replied  Adam, 
"but  I  can't  help  it.  It  would  be  as  much  as 
my  life  is  worth  to  go  out  of  sight  of  this 
house.  If  I  should  go  down  to  that  camp,  I 
might  never  come  back  again.  I  '11  tell  you  a 
story  before  you  leave  us." 

Frank  and  Archie  would  have  been  glad  to 
postpone  their  visit  to  the  camp,  and  to  listen 
to  the  story  then  and  there ;  but  Adam  left 
them,  and  entered  the  house.  Dick  and  Bob 
accompanied  them  to  the  fort,  and  while  on  the 
way  the  boys  talked  over  what  Adam  had  said 
to  them,  and  speculated  upon  the  causes  that 
rendered  it  necessary  for  him  to  be  kept  so 
close  a  prisoner ;  but  that  was  a  mystery,  and 
would  probably  remain  so  until  Adam  saw  fit 
to  enlighten  them. 

After  a  few  minutes'  walk  they  readied  the 
camp,  and  seated  themselves  upon  a  little 


14  FRANK  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

knoll,  under  the  shade  of  a  spreading  oak,  to 
watch  the  games.  The  principal  sport,  among 
the  younger  members  of  the  tribe,  seemed  to 
be  running  foot-races;  and,  in  this,  one  youth- 
ful savage  excelled  all  his  companions.  He 
was  'a  tall,  active  fellow,  apparently  about 
Frank's  age,  as  straight  as  an  arrow,  and  very 
muscular.  He  easily  distanced  every  one  of 
his  competitors,  and  finally  he  stepped  up  to 
the  visitors,  and  fastening  his  eyes  upon  Frank, 
asked  him  if  he  could  run. 

"  I  reckon  he  can,"  replied  Dick,  before 
Frank  could  speak.  "  Fur  one  of  his  years  he 
is  about  the  liveliest  feller  on  his  legs  I  ever 
seed ;  an'  I  've  met  a  heap  of  smart  youngsters 
in  my  day,  I  tell  you.  You  haint  got  no  busi- 
ness with  him.  He  would  go  ahead  of  you 
like  a  bird  on  the  wing." 

"  Ugh  ! "  exclaimed  the  young  Indian. 

"It's  a  fact;  an'  that  aint  all  he  can  do, 
nuther.  He  can  not  only  beat  you  runnin', 
but  he  can  out-ride,  out-shoot,  an'  out-jump 
you ;  an'  he  can  take  your  measure  on  the 
ground  as  fast  as  you  can  get  up." 

The  Indian  listened  attentively  to  all  the 


THE  FOOT-RACE.  15 

trapper  had  to  say,  and  then  turned  and  sur- 
veyed Frank  from  head  to  foot.  A  white  joy 
would  have  thought  twice  before  selecting  so 
formidable  an  opponent;  but  the  Indian,  evi- 
dently having  great  confidence  in  his  powers, 
stepped  back,  and  motioned  to  the  young 
hunter  to  follow  him — an  invitation  which 
Frank  had  no  desire  to  accept.  He  would  not 
have  been  at  all  averse  to  a  friendly  trial  of 
speed  and  skill  with  the  young  warrior,  if 
Dick  had  not  been  so  lavish  in  his  praises; 
but  what  if  he  should  be  beaten  after  all  the 
complimentary  things  the  trapper  had  said 
about  him?  The  Indian  had  shown  himself 
to  be  a  great  braggart.  Whenever  he  won  a 
race,  he  announced  the  fact  by  a  series  of 
hideous  yells,  that  were  heard  all  over  the 
camp ;  and  if  he  should  chance  to  distance 
Frank,  how  he  would  crow  over  him ! 

"  I  believe  I  won't  try  it,  Dick,"  said  the 
latter. 

"  What ! "  exclaimed  old  Bob,  in  great 
amazement.  "Are  you  goin'  to  set  thar  an* 
take  a  banter  like  that,  an'  from  an  Injun, 
too?  I  haint  been  fooled  in  you,  havie  I? 


16  FRANK  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

Come  on,  and  show  the  red  skins  what  you 
can  do." 

"Yes,  go  Frank,"  chimed  in  Archie,  "and 
take  some  of  the  conceit  out  of  that  fellow.  I 
know  you  can  beat  him.  See  how  impudent 
he  looks ! " 

Frank  glanced  toward  the  Indian,  who  stood 
patiently  awaiting  a  response  to  his  challenge, 
and  meeting  with  a  sneering  smile,  which  told 
him  as  plainly  as  words  that  he  was  believed 
to  be  a  coward,  he  sprang  to  his  feet,  and  ac- 
companied by  his  cousin  and  the  trappers,  fol- 
lowed the  Indian  toward  the  race-course.  The 
latter  kept  up  a  loud  shouting  as  he  walked 
along,  and  Frank  noticed,  with  no  little  un- 
easiness, that  the  Indians,  old  and  young, 
abandoned  their  own  sports  and  fell  in  behind. 

"They're  goin'  out  to  see  the  race,"  said 
Dick.  "That  boaster  is  tellin'  'em  how  bad 
he  is  goin'  to  bi-at  you.  I  reckon  he'll  be 
about  the  wusl  fooled  man  them  Injuns  ever 
seed." 

The  prospect  of  a  contest  between  a  white 
boy  and  one  of  their  own  number,  created 
quite  a  Commotion  among  the  savages ;  and  by 


THE  FOOT-RAC*  17 

the  time  Frank  and  his  companions  reached 
the  race-course,  the  village  had  been  deserted. 
Among;  the  spectators  were  the  officers  of  the 
fort,  and  four  white  trappers  who  made  their 
home  among  the  Indians.  In  these  last,  if 
Frank  had  noticed  them,  he  would  have  recog- 
nized old  acquaintances,  whom  he  had  good 
reason  to  remember ;  but  as  they  did  not  make 
themselves  very  conspicuous,  he  did  not  see 
them.  They  did  not  seem  to  care  much  about 
the  race,  but  they  appeared  to  be  greatly  in- 
terested in  Dick  and  Bob,  and  their  young 
friends.  They  looked  at  Frank,  then  held  a 
whispered  consultation,  and  one  of  them  left 
his  companions,  and,  mounting  a  small  gray 
horse,  rode  off  toward  the  mountains;  while 
the  others  devoted  their  entire  attention  to 
Archie,  whom  they  watched  as  closely  as  ever 
e  cat  watched  a  mouse.  If  Frank  could  have 
seen  that  horse,  it  is  possible  that  there  would 
have  been  an  uproar  in  that  camp  immediately  ; 
and  if  Archie  had  known  what  the  men  were 
saying  about  him,  and  what  they  were  intend- 
ing to  do  with  him,  he  would  have  wished 
himself  safe  back. in  California  again.  .-' 


18  FRANK    IN  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

When  Frank  reached  the  race-course,  and 
looked  back  at  the  cloud.of  spectators  that  hung 
upon  the  outskirts  of  the  village,  his  heart  failed 
him ;  but  it  was  only  for  a  moment.  It  waa 
too  late  to  think  of  backing  out,  and  with  a 
firm  determination  to  win  the  race,  he  began 
preparing  for  it  by  throwing  off  his  hat  and 
jacket,  and  tying  his  handkerchief  around  hia 
waist.  At  this  moment  the  principal  chief  of 
the  band  appeared  upon  the  ground,  and  as- 
sumed the  management  of  affairs.  He  was  a 
very  dignified  looking  Indian,  stood  more  than 
six  feet  in  his  moccasins,  wore  a  profusion  of 
feathers  in  his  hair,  a  red  blanket  over  his 
shoulders,  and  was  altogether  the  finest  speci- 
men of  a  savage  the  boys  had  ever  met.  Frank 
was  very  much  interested  in  him  ;  but  before 
many  hours  had  passed  over  his  head,  he  had 
reason  to  wish  he  had  never  seen  him. 

"He  is  my  beau  ideal  of  a  warrior,"  whis- 
pered Archie.  "  He  looks  exactly  as  I  imag- 
ined all  Indians  looked  before  I  knew  as  much 
about  them  as  I  do  now.  Isn't  he  splendid, 
Dick?" 

"Sartin,"  replied  the   trapper.     "I'd    like 


THE  FOOT-RACE.  19 

to  meet  him  alone  in  the  mountains,  an  .jhow 
him  how  easy  I  can  raise  that  har  of  his'n. 
Now,  youngsters,  if  you  are  all  ready,  I  am. 
I  see  that  some  of  the  Injuns  are  goin'  to  ruii 
the  race  too — jest  to  encourage  their  man,  you 
know — an'  I  am  goin'  with  you.  Do  your 
level  best,  now." 

The  race-course  was  about  half  a  mile  long. 
At  the  end  of  it  was  a  tree  which  the  runners 
were  to  double,  terminating  the  race  at  the 
place  from  which  they  started.  This  the  chief 
explained  to  Frank  in  broken  English,  and, 
after  placing  the  rival  runners  side  by  side, 
and  glancing  up  and  down  the  course  to  satisfy 
himself  that  the  way  was  clear,  he  raised  a 
yell  as  the  signal  to  start.  Before  his  lijs 
were  fairly  opeiied  the  race  was  begun. 


20  FBANK  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS. 


CHAPTER  II. 

WHAT  CAME  OF  IT. 

"VTO  sooner  had  the  chiefs  yell  died  away  than 
••*- '  the  whole  tribe  took  it  up ;  and  such  a  din 
as  that  which  rung  in  Frank's  ears  during  the 
next  few  seconds,  he  had  never  heard  before. 
The  yells  did  not  express  delight,  but  surprise 
and  indignation ;  for  their  youthful  champion 
was  being  left  behind  at  the  very  commence- 
ment of  the  race.  Frank  took  the  lead  at  the 
start.  The  instant  the  signal  was  given,  he 
bounded  forward  like  an  arrow  from  a  bow, 
and  was  well  under  way  before  the  Indian  had 
made  a  step. 

"  Whoop  !  "  yelled  Dick,  his  stentorian  voice 
ringing  out  loud  and  clear  above  the  noise 
made  by  the  excited  savages;  "if  that  wasn't 
well  done  may  I  never  draw  a  bead  on  an  In- 
jun a^jm."  The  trapper  was  following  close 


WHAT  CAME  OF  IT.  21 

at  Frank's  heels,  swinging  along  with  an  easy, 
graceful  motion,  and  moving  oxer  the  ground 
so  lightly  that  he  scarcely  seemed  to  touch  it. 
"Don't  be  in  too  big  a  hurry,"  said  he,  as 
Frank  continued  to  increase  his  speed.  "Save 
some  of  your  wind  for  the  finish.  Come  along, 
thar,"  he  added,  looking  over  his  shoulder  at 
the  young  Indian.  "  If  you  can't  keep  up, 
come  here  an'  I  '11  tote  you." 

The  savage,  however,  was  not  yet  beaten. 
Quickly  recovering  from  his  surprise,  and 
spurred  on  by  the  yells  of  derision  which  his 
friends  sent  after  him,  he  exerted  himself  to 
the  utmost;  and  before  they  reached  the  end 
of  the  course,  he  had  overtaken  Frank,  and 
was  running  side  by  side  with  him ;  but  he 
could  not  pass  him.  Indeed,  it  was  quite  as 
much  as  he  could  do  to  keep  pace  with  him  ; 
while  Frank  was  running  well  within  himself, 
with  plenty  of  power  held  in  reserve,  and 
ready,  at  a  word  from  the  trapper,  to  put  on 
a  fresh  burst  of  speed,  and  leave  his  rival  far 
in  the  rear.  They  reached  the  tree  at  the  end 
of  the  course,  swung  round  it  like  two  flashes 
ftf  light,  and  sped  along  the  home  stretch  with 


22  FRANK  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

unabated  speed,  the  Indian  beginning  to  feel 
the  effects  of  his  rapid  run,  and  Frank  ap- 
parently as  fresh  as  when  he  started. 

"  He  aint  half  the  runner  I  thought  he  was," 
said  the  trapper,  to  encourage  his  young  friend. 
"He 'ft  blowing  his  bellows  already.  I  say, 
Injun!  I  reckon  you're  a  little  out  of  prac- 
tice, aint  you  ?  The  next  time  you  banter  a 
white  Teller  to  race  with  you,  you  had  better 
pick  ouf.  a  good  hoss  to  carry  you.  We  haint 
begun  to  run  yet.  Let  out  just  the  least  bit, 
youngster." 

Frank  "let  out"  a  good  deal;  and  although 
the  Indian  made  desperate  attempts  to  keep 
pace  with  him,  he  quickly  left  him  behind,  and 
finally  flew  past  the  place  where  the  chief  was 
standing,  the  winner  by  fifty  yards. 

"  Whoop  !  Whoop  !  "  shouted  Dick,  who 
seemed  to  be  almost  beside  himself  with  delight. 
"I  say,  chief!  If  you  've  got  any  young  fellers 
in  camp,  who  think  themselves  something  great 
at  ridin',  jumpin',  throwin'  the  lasso,  an'  hand- 
lin'  the  rifle,  jest  trot  'em  out.  We  've  beat 
yon  runnin',  an'  now  that  we  have  got  our  blood 
up,  we  are  ready  for  a' most  any  thing." 


WHAT  CAME  OF   IT.  23 

The  issue  of  the  race  greatly  astonished  the 
Indians.  Frank,  as  he  passed  the  chief,  was 
welcomed  with  cheers  from  the  officers  of  the 
fort,  the  trappers,  and  from  Archie,  who  hur- 
ried up  to  him,  and  shook  his  hand  as  though 
he  had  not  met  him  for  months;  while  the  de- 
feated runner  was  greeted  with  jeers  and  ridi- 
cule. No  one,  not  even  Dick,  seemed  more 
delighted  than  the  chief.  He  approached  the 
place  where  Frank  was  standing,  patted  him 
on  the  back,  and  looked  at  him  with  as  much 
curiosity  and  admiration  as  he  would  have  be- 
stowed upon  a  steamboat  or  a  locomotive,  had 
one  suddenly  made  its  appearance  in  the  val- 
ley. "  Good  boy ! "  said  he,  approvingly. 
"Ought  to  be  Injun." 

"He  had  oughter  be  a  trapper,"  said  old 
Bob.  "A  boy  who  can  run  like  that  is  wast- 
ing his  time  by  living  in  the  States.  If  you 
\\ould  stay  out  here  among  the  mountains  fur 
a  few  years,  Master  Frank,  you  might  get  to 
be  the  leader  of  a  band  of  trappers,  or  the  cap- 
tain of  a  wagon  train." 

Frank,  flushed  with  excitement  and  exercise, 
turned  to  look  for  his  rival.  He  saw  him 


24  FRANK   IN  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

standing  at  a  little  distance  from  the  other 
members  of  the  tribe,  leaning  against  a  tree, 
with  his  arms  folded,  and  a  fierce  scowl  on  his 
face.  His  defeat,  and  the  reception  he  had 
met  with  from  his  friends,  had  made  him  very 
angry.  Now  and  then  some  one  jeered  at  him, 
but  the  majority  of  the  tribe  took  no  notice  of 
him  whatever.  They  seemed  to  think  that  an 
Indian  who  would  allow  a  white  boy  to  run 
faster  than  he  did,  was  not  worth  noticing. 

"You've  give  him  a  big  back-set,  Frank," 
said  Dick;  "an'  my  advice  to  you  is  to  keep 
your  eyes  open  as  long  as  we  stay  in  the  val- 
ley. You've  made  an  enemy  of  that  feller, 
an'  I  know,  by  the  squint  in  his  eye,  that  he 
wouldn't  think  no  more  of  slippin'  a  ball  or 
arrer  into  you,  than  he  would  of  eatin'  a  piece 
of  jerked  buffaler.  You  see  these  Injuns  are 
mighty  wild  yet;  they  haint  been  whipped 
enough  to  make  'em  tame.  They  seem  friendly 
enough  now,  but  they've  no  great  love  fur 
white  folks ;  an',  if  they  thought  they  could 
do  it  without  bringin'  harm  to  themselves,  they 
would  massacree  the  last  one  of  us  afore  they 
are  an  hour  older.  I  do  n't  like  the  way  they 


WHAT  CAME  OF  IT.  25 

act,  any  how ;  an',  mark  what  I  say,  youngster, 
we're  goin'  to  have  trouble  with  'em.  Bars 
an'  buffaler!  "What's  up  now?" 

The  trapper  was  not  long  in  finding  out  what 
was  up,  and  neither  was  Frank.  The  young 
Indian,  smarting  under  his  defeat,  and  stung 
by  the  ridicule  of  his  friends,  had  determined 
to  retrieve  his  lost  reputation.  If  he  could 
not  distance  the  white  boy  in  a  foot-race,  he 
could  perhaps  beat  him  at  something  else,  and 
so  regain  some  of  the  laurels  that  had  been 
wrested  from  him.  He  resolved  to  try  it ;  and 
before  Frank  knew  Avhat  was  going  on,  the 
Indian  stepped  up  behind  him,  and  clasping 
his  sinewy  arms  around  his  body,  lifted  him 
from  his  feet,  and  attempted  to  throw  him  to 
the  ground.  He  took  Frank  by  surprise,  and 
caught  him  in  such  a  manner  that  his  arms 
were  pinned  to  his  side,  thus  placing  him  at 
great  disadvantage. 

"That 's  a  cowardly  way  of  doing  business," 
shouted  Archie,  indignantly.  "  Why  do  n't 
you  give  a  fellow  a  fair  chance?  If  he  throws 
you,  Frank,  get  up  and  try  it  again,  for  this 
won't  be  a  fair  test." 


26  FRANK  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

'*  He  aint  a  goin'  to  be  throwed,"  said  the 
trapper.  "That  Injun  will  have  to  eat  a  heap 
of  dried  bufialer  meat  afore  he  can  get  Frank 
ofl'  his  pins.  Show  him  what  you  can  do, 
youngster." 

The  young  Indian  speedily  found  that  he 
had  got  his  hands  full,  and  that  one  hundred 
and  sixty  pounds  of  bone  and  muscle  was  an 
exceedingly  unhandy  weight  to  manage,  espe- 
cially when  backed  up  by  such  skill  and  cour- 
age as  Frank  possessed.  The  latter  positively 
refused  to  be  thrown.  The  Indian,  although 
he  exerted  himself  to  the  utmost,  could  not 
force  him  from  an  upright  position,  for  Frank, 
like  a  cat,  always  fell  feet  foremost.  The  ex- 
citement ran  high  as  the  young  athletes  strug- 
gled over  the  ground.  Yells  of  delight  and 
encouragement  from  the  friends  of  both  par- 
ties arose  in  deafening  chorus,  and  Indians, 
dfficers,  and  trappers  pushed  and  elbowed  one 
another  to  obtain  a  position  from  which  they 
could  view  the  contest,  which  was  decided  in 
Frank's  favor  much  more  easily  and  quickly 
than  the  foot-race.  After  a  few  ineffectual  at- 
tempts, he  succeeded  in  freeing  his  arms ;  and 


WHAT  CAME -OF  IT.  27 

catching  the  Indian  around  the  body,  broke  his 
hold  in  an  instant,  and  sent  him  headlong  to 
the  ground.  The  ease  with  which  it  was  done 
astonished  every  one  who  witnessed  it,  and  had 
a  very  chilling  effect  upon  the  ardor  of  the  In- 
dian, who  jumped  to  his  feet  and  stole  off 
toward  the  village,  looking  exceedingly  humili- 
ated and  crestfallen. 

Frank,  although  he  was  proud  of  his  victo- 
ries, as  any  other  boy  would  have  been  under 
the  same  circumstances,  was  almost  sorry  that 
he  had  allowed  himself  to  be  persuaded  into 
contesting  the  Indian's  claims  to  superiority. 
The  expression  he  saw  on  the  face  of  his  rival 
told  him  that  he  was  almost  beside  himself 
with  fury ;  and  Frank  did  not  relish  the 
thought  that  any  one,  even  an  Indian,  whom 
he  never  expected  to  see  again,  should  be  angry 
at  him  for  any  thing  he  had  done.  He  would 
have  been  astonished  had  he  known  what  was 
to  be  the  result  of  this  morning's  work.  He 
was  destined  to  see  and  know  a  great  deal 
more  of  his  rival,  and  also  of  the  chief,  whose 
interest  in  him  now  seemed  to  be  redoubled ; 
and  this  foot-race  and  wrestling  match  were 


28  FRANK   IN  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

the  preludes  to  more  than  one  exciting  and 
disagreeable  event  that  was  to  happen  before 
he  saw  California  again. 

"  Youngster,  I  am  proud  of  you,"  exclaimed 
Dick,  seizing  Frank's  hand,  and  giving  it  a 
gripe  and  a  shake  that  made  the  boy  double  up 
like  a  jack-knife;  "but  I  say  agin,  that  ycu 
had  better  keep  a  good  lookout  as  long  as  them 
red  skins  stay  about  here.  They  're  mighty 
onsartin,  an'  thar  's  no  knowin'  what  they  may 
do.  Let 's  go  home." 

Frank  put  on  his  jacket  and  hat,  and  fol- 
lowed the  trappers  toward  the  house.  He 
found  Captain  Porter,  Mr.  Brent,  and  Adam 
impatiently  awaiting  his  arrival,  for  they  had 
witnessed  the  race,  and  were  anxious  to  know 
all  about  it.  Dick,  as  usual,  acted  as  spokes- 
man ;  and  Frank  afterward  said  that  he  had 
not  the  least  idea  how  swift  a  runner  he  was, 
or  what  an  astonishing  victory  he  had  won, 
until  he  heard  the  trapper  relate  the  particu- 
lars. If  one  might  judge  by  what  he  said, 
Frank  could  beat  any  mustang  in  Mr.  Brent's 
stables. 

The  listeners  were  all  as  highly  elated  as  the 


WHAT  CAME  OF  IT.  29 

trapper.  Adam  shook  his  new  friend  warmly 
by  the  hand,  and  the  Captain  laughed  until  he 
shook  all  over  like  a  big  bowl  of  jelly.  Frank 
was  once  more  a  hero,  and  during  the  next 
half  hour  the  race  formed  the  chief  topic  of 
conversation ;  but  even  that  grew  tiresome  at 
last,  and  the  cousins,  who  could  not  remain 
long  inactive,  strolled  off  toward  the  camp  of 
the  trappers.  Shortly  afterward  they  emerged 
from  the  grove,  mounted  on  their  horses,  and 
rode  toward  the  mountains. 

They  had  not  decided  where  they  were  go- 
,  ing,  or  what  they  would  do ;  but,  as  far  as  the 
sport  they  were  likely  to  meet  with  was  con- 
cerned, that  made  little  difference.  In  that  wil- 
derness they  could  not  run  amiss  of  something 
to  excite  and  amuse  them,  let  them  go  in  what 
direction  they  would.  If  they  preferred  quiet 
sport,  there  was  plenty  of  it  to  be  found  in  the 
brook  that  ran  through  the  valley.  No  city 
fishermen,  with  their  jointed  poles  and  artificial 
flies,  had  ever  invaded  this  retired  spot;  and 
having  no  enemies  except  an  occasional  fish- 
hawk,  and  a  few  straggling  Indians  and  trap- 
pers to  contend  with,  the  trout  had  increased 


30  FKANK  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

and  multiplied  until  the  stream  fairly  swarmed 
with  them.  If  they  decided  to  try  their  rifles, 
and  engage  in  some  more  active  and  exhilerat- 
ing  sport  than  fishing,  there  were  the  mount- 
ains, which  abounded  in  game  of  every  descrip- 
tion. If  they  felt  so  inclined  they  might, 
within  less  than  half  an  hour,  make  the  ac- 
quaintance of  a  panther  or  two,  or  renew  their 
intimacy  with  the  grizzlies.  Archie  did  not 
deny  that  he  was  afraid  of  grizzly  bears,  and, 
for  that  reason,  he  thought  it  best  to  give  them 
and  their  haunts  a  wide  berth.  He  picked  out 
a  shady  spot  on  the  bank  of  the  brook,  and 
said  he  would  stop  there  and  try  his  luck  at 
fishing;  while  Frank,  who  had  heard  that  elk 
were  plenty  in  the  mountains,  thought  he 
would  ride  farther  on  and  see  if  he  could  find 
one.  "  I  shall  not  go  far,"  said  he,  "  for  not 
being  acquainted  with  the  country,  I  might  get 
lost ;  and  I  should  n't  like  the  idea  of  being 
obliged  to  stay  in  the  mountains  all  night." 

''Nor  I  either,"  replied  Archie;  "and  for 
that  reason  I  am  going  to  stay  here,  where  I 
know  I  am  safe.  Hold  on  a  minute,  and  see 
me  catch  a  fish." 


WHAT  CAME  OF  IT.  31 

Archie  dismounted  from  his  horse,  and  aftei 
tying  the  animal  to  a  neighboring  tree,  cut 
from  the  thicket  a  long,  slender  sapling,  which, 
on  being  stripped  of  its  branches,  promised  to 
answer  the  purpose  for  which  it  was  intended, 
and  to  pull  out  a  trout  as  well  as  any  twenty- 
five-dollar  rod.  Then  he  produced  a  fish-line 
from  his  pocket,  and  in  a  short  time  his  pole 
was  rigged.  The  bait  was  dropped  carefully 
over  the  bank,  and  no  sooner  had  it  touched 
the  water  than  it  was  seized  by  a  ravenous 
trout,  which  found  itself  struggling  on  the 
ground  in  a  twinkling. 

"  He  is  rather  larger  than  those  we  used  to 
catch  about  Lawrence,  isn't  he?"  said  Frank. 
"Now,  if  I  am  fortunate  enough  to  knock 
over  an  elk,  we  '11  have  a  supper  such  as  people 
in  the  cities  do  not  often  enjoy." 

Archie,  intent  upon  securing  his  fish  before 
it  floundered  back  into  the  water,  did  not  re- 
ply ;  and  when  he  looked  up  again,  his  cousin 
was  out  of  sight. 

Frank  urged  Roderick  into  a  gallop,  and 
soon  had  left  the  valley  behind,  and  was 
threading  his  way  through  a  thickly- wooded 


32  FRANK  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

ravine  that  led  into  the  mountains.  Here  ho 
became  more  cautious  in  his  movements,  and 
allowed  his  horse  to  walk  leisurely  along,  while 
he  peered  through  the  trees  on  every  side  of 
him,  in  the  hope  of  meeting  with  one  of  the 
numerous  elk  which  every  evening  descended 
from  the  mountains  into  the  valley  to  crop  the 
grass  and  slake  their  thirst  at  the  brook.  His 
chances  for  a  shot  at  one  of  these  animals  would 
have  been  greatly  increased  if  he  had  left  his 
horse  behind ;  but  grizzlies  were  plenty,  and 
Frank  did  not  like  the  idea  of.  encountering 
one  while  on  foot.  On  this  particular  evening, 
however,  the  mountains  seemed  to  be  deserted. 
Not  a  living  animal  of  any  description  did  he 
see,  during  the  hour  and  a  half  that  he  con- 
tinued on  his  course  up  the  ravine;  and  be- 
coming discouraged  at  last,  he  turned  Roderick 
about  and  rode  toward  the  rancho. 

"I  wish  I  could  see  just  one  squirrel,"  said 
Frank,  who,  like  all  young  hunters,  considered 
it  his  duty  to  empty  his  gun  at  something  be- 
fore he  returned  home.  "What's  that?" 

A  slight  movement  in  the  bushes  in  advance 
of  him  attracted  his  attention ;  then  a  twig 


WHAT  CAME  OF  IT.  33 

snapped  behind  him,  and  a  yell,  so  sudden  and 
appalling  that  it  made  Frank's  blood  run  cold, 
echoed  through  the  ravine;  and  before  he  could 
look  about  him  to  see  what  was  the  matter, 
he  was  pulled  from  his  saddle  and  thrown  to 
the  ground.  In  a  twinkling  his  rifle  was  torn 
from  his  grasp,  his  hands  bound  behind  his 
back,  and  he  was  helped  to  his  feet  to  find 
himself  surrounded  by  a  party  of  Indians  in 
war  costume. 


34  FRANK  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS. 


CHAPTER  III. 

FRANK  LEARNS  SOMETHING. 

T71RANK  was  as  frightened  as  a  boy  could  be. 
Amazed  at  the  suddenness  of  the  assault, 
he  gazed  in  stupid  wonder  at  the  savages, 
winked  his  eyes  hard  to  make  sure  that  he  was 
not  dreaming,  and  looked  again.  But  there 
was  no  dreaming  about  it — it  was  all  a  reality  ; 
and  as  he  stood  there  powerless  among  his  cap- 
tors, and  looked  at  their  glittering  weapons, 
and  painted,  scowling  faces,  all  the  stories  he 
had  heard  the  trappers  relate  of  their  expe- 
rience among  the  Indians,  came  fresh  to  his 
memory.  He  recognized  one  of  the  savages, 
and  that  was  the  chief.  His  blanket  and 
buckskin  hunting  shirt  were  gone,  he  wore 
the  tomahawk  and  scalping  knife  in  his  belt, 
his  face  was  covered  with  paint,  and  alto- 
gether he  looked  fierce  enough  to  frighten  any 


FRANK   LEARNS  SOMETHING.  35 

boy  who  had  never  seen  Indians  in  war  cos- 
tume before. 

Frank  took  these  things  in  at  a  glance;  and 
while  he  was  wondering  what  object  the  In- 
dians could  have  in  view  in  capturing  him 
and  what  they  intended  to  do  with  him,  he 
was  trying  hard  to  summon  all  his  courage  to 
his  aid,  and  to  appear  as  unconcerned  as  pos- 
sible. If  there  had  been  any  hostile  Indians 
in  that  part  of  the  country,  he  could  have  un- 
derstood the  matter ;  but  he  had  been  told  that 
they  were  all  friendly. 

"Look  here,  chief,"  said  he,  "I'd  like  to 
know  what  this  means.  You  have  made  a 
mistake." 

The  savage  paid  no  more  attention  to  his 
words  than  if  he  had  not  spoken  at  all.  He 
gave  a  few  orders  in  his  native  tongue  to  his 
companions,  two  of  whom  placed  Frank  on 
Roderick's  back  and  held  him  there,  while  a 
third  seized  the  horse  by  the  bridle,  and  fol- 
lowed after  the  chief,  who  led  the  way  down 
the  ravine.  How  far  they  went,  or  in  what 
direction,  Frank  could  not  have  told,  for  hi  a 
mind  was  in  too  great  confusion.  He  was 


36  FRANK  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

trying  to  arrive  at  some  satisfactory  explana- 
tion concerning  the  Indians'  conduct.  He  had 
expected  that  the  first  action  on  their  part 
would  be  to  pull  his  hair,  strike  at  him  with 
their  knives  and  tomahawks,  point  their  guns 
and  arrows  at  him,  and  try,  by  every  means  in 
their  power,  to  frighten  him.  That  was  the 
way  they  always  served  their  prisoners;  but 
thus  far  he  had  no  reason  to  complain  of  their 
treatment.  He  wished  the  chief  would  explain 
matters  to  him,  and  thus  relieve  him  of  sus- 
pense. 

At  the  end  of  half  an  hour,  during  which 
time  Frank  made  several  unsuccessful  attempts 
to  induce  some  of  the  Indians  to  talk  to  him, 
the  chief  emerged  from  the  ravine,  and  led  the 
way  into  a  little  valley,  similar  to  the  one  in 
which  Mr.  Brent's  rancho  was  located.  The 
sight  that  here  met  Frank's  gaze  astonished 
him.  The  valley  was  filled  with  lodges,  and 
Frank  saw  more  Indians  at  the  single  glance 
he  swept  about  the  camp  than  he  had  ever  seen 
before  in  all  his  life.  Children  were  playing 
about  in  front  of  the  lodges,  the  women  were 
engaged  :n  various  occupations,  and  the  braves, 


FRANK  LEARNS  SOMETHING.  37 

all  of  whom  were  in  their  war-paint,  smoked 
their  pipes,  and  lounged  in  the  shade.  Frank 
was  greatly  relieved  to  find  that  no  one  noticed 
the  chief  and  his  party.  When  he  first  came 
in  sight  of  the  village,  he  had  screwed  up  all 
his  courage  again,  expecting  no  very  friendly 
reception.  Bob  and  Dick  had  told  him  that 
when  they  were  carried  into  an  Indian  camp 
as  prisoners,  every  man,  woman,  and  child 
turned  out  to  meet  them,  and  to  amuse  them- 
selves by  beating  them  with  switches  and  clubs; 
but  nothing  of  the  kind  was  attempted  now. 
Those  who  looked  at  Frank  at  all,  merely  took 
one  glance  at  him  ;  and  the  most  of  them  did 
not  even  look  up  when  he  passed. 

The  chief  walked  straight  through  the  vil- 
lage, and  stopped  in  front  of  a  large  wigwam 
that  stood  a  little  apart  from  the  others.  At 
a  sign  from  him,  Frank  was  pulled  from  his 
horse,  and  after  his  hands  had  been  unbound, 
a  corner  of  the  wigwam,  which  served  as  a 
door,  was  lifted  up,  and  he  was  pushed  under 
it.  Then  the  door  was  dropped  to  its  place, 
and  Frank  heard  the  Indians  moving  off  witt 
Roderick. 


38  PRANK    IN  THE   MOUNTAINS. 

The  light  was  all  shut  out  from  the  inside 
of  the  lodge,  and  as  soon  as  the  prisoner's  eyes 
became  accustomed  to  the  darkness,  he  began 
to  look  about  him.  The  lodge  was  about  fif- 
teen feet  in  diameter,  and  was  built  of  neatly- 
dressed  skins,  supported  on  a  frame-work  of 
saplings.  Weapons  of  all  kinds  were  sus- 
pended from  the  walls,  the  chiefs  blanket, 
bridle,  spear,  and  head-dress  occupied  one  cor- 
ner, and  several  buffalo  robes,  which  doubtless 
served  him  for  a  bed,  were  piled  in  another. 
There  was  no  one  in  the  lodge,  and  Frank, 
being  no  longer  compelled  to  wear  the  appear- 
ance of  unconcern  he  had  assumed  while  in  the 
presence  of  the  Indians,  gave  full  vent  to  his 
pent-up  feelings.  His  forced  calmness  forsook 
him,  a  feeling  of  desolation  such  as  he  had 
never  before  experienced  came  over  him,  and 
covering  his  face  with  his  hands,  he  staggered 
toward  the  buffalo  robes,  and  threw  himself 
upon  them. 

"If  I  only  knew  what  they  intend  to  do  with 
me,"  sobbed  Frank,  "I  should  not  fed  so 
badly  about  it.  If  they  have  made  up  their 
minds  to  tie  me  to  the  stake,  or  to  compel  na« 


FRANK   LEARNS  SOMETHING.  39 

to  run  the  gauntlet,  why  don't  they  tell  me 
so,  and  give  me  a  chance  to  prepare  for  it? 
Can  it  be  possible  that  that  race  and  wrestling 
match  have  any  thing  to  do  with  my  capture? 
The  Indians  seemed  friendly  enough  when  I 
first  visited  their  camp  at  the  trading-post,  and 
1  'd  like  to  know  what  they  mean  by  taking 
me  prisoner  when  I  wasn't  doing  any  thing 
to  them !  What  could  have  induced  them  to 
change  their  camp  so  suddenly,  any  how?  A 
few  hours  ago  there  were  not  more  than  a 
hundred  in  the  band ;  now  there  must  be  five 
times  as  many,  and  the  braves  are  all  in  war- 
paint, too?  I  can't  understand  it." 

A  step  outside  the  lodge,  and  a  rustling 
among  the  skins  which  formed  the  door,  aroused 
Frank,  and  he  once  more  made  a  strong  effort 
to  compose  himself.  The  door  was  raised, 
and  a  face  appeared  at  the  opening — a  dark, 
scarred,  scowling  face,  which  was  almost  con- 
cealed by  a  fur  cap  and  thick  bushy  whiskers. 
Frank  was  thunderstruck.  He  leaned  for- 
ward to  examine  the  face  more  closely,  and 
then  his  heart  seemed  to  stop  beating,  and 
with  a  cry  of  alarm  he  sprang  to  his  feet.  Aa 


40  FRANK  IS  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

much  as  he  feared  the  Indians,  he  feared  tlm 
man  more. 

"Ah,  my  young  cub,  are  you  thar?"  growled 
the  visitor,  as  he  stepped  into  the  lodge. 

"Black  Bill!"  exclaimed  Frank,  in  dismay. 

"Ay!  That's  what  they  call  me.  'Member 
me,  do  n't  you  ?  Heered  all  about  me,  most 
likely,  from  ole  Bob  and  Dick  Lewis.  They 
did  n't  tell  you  nothin'  good  of  me,  I  reckon." 

Frank  tried  to  speak,  but  he  seemed  to  have 
lost  all  control  over  his  tongue.  He  had  trem- 
bled every  time  he  thought  of  the  night  he 
had  passed  in  the  camp  of  the  outlaws,  and  he 
had  hoped  that  he  should  never  meet  them 
again ;  but  here  he  was,  face  to  face  with  one 
of  them,  when  he  least  expected  it. 

"I  didn't  kalkerlate  on  seein'  you  agin," 
said  the  outlaw,  with  a  savage  smile,  "  an'  I 
aint  agoiu'  to  say  that  I  'm  glad  to  see  you 
now,  'cause  I  aint.  I  hate  any  body  that's  a 
friend  to  Bob  an'  Dick,  an'  if  I  could  have  my 
way  I'd  split  your  wizzen  fur  you  in  a  minit. 
Dut  you  b'long  to  the  chief,  an'  I  do  n't  reckon 
he  would  see  harm  come  to  you." 

"To  the  chief!"  repeated  Frank,  drawing  a 


FRANK   LEARNS  SOMETHING.  41 

long  breath  as  if  a  heavy  load  had  been  re- 
moved from  his  shoulders.  It  was  a  great 
satisfaction  to  him  to  know  that  this  man  could 
110  do  as  he  pleased  with  him. 

"  That 's  what  I  said,"  replied  the  visitor. 

"But  what  does  he  want  to  do  with  me? 
What  is  his  object  in  taking  me  prisoner?" 
asked  Frank. 

"He's  goin'  to  make  an  Injun  of  you." 

"  What !     I— you  do  n't  mean — -" 

"  Sartin  I  do.  It 's  a  fact.  He 's  goin'  to 
take  you  into  the  tribe  an'  make  an  Injun  of 
you,"  said  the  outlaw,  in  a  louder  tone. 

"  And  never  let  me  go  home  again,  but  keep 
me  here  always?"  demanded  Frank,  growing 
more  and  more  astonished. 

"  Exactly ! " 

"Well,  he  can't  do  it— he  shan't.  I  don't 
want  to  be  adopted  into  the  tribe,  and  I  won't 
'<e,  either." 

"  I  do  n't  reckon  you  can  help  yourself,  can 
you?"  said  the  outlaw,  with  a  grin.  ".You 
see,  the  chief  used  to  have  a  son  just  about 
your  age — an'  a  smart,  lively  young  Injun  he 
was,  too;  but  he  was  killed  a  little  while  ago 


42  FRANK  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

.n  a  scrimmage  with  the  Blackfeet,  an'  the 
chief  wants  another.  You're  an  amazin'  chap 
fur  runnin'  an'  wrastlin'  fur  one  of  your  years, 
an'  that's  the  reason  he  picked  you  out." 

"I  don't  care  if  it  is;  he  sha'n't  have  me. 
I  won't  stay  here  and  be  his  son.  Why,  I 
never  heard  of  such  a  thing.  Why  do  n't  he 
select  some  Indian  boy?" 

"That's  his  business,  an'  not  mine.  But  if 
you  only  knowed  it,  youngster,  it's  lucky  fur 
you  that  the  chief  tuk  sich  a  monstrous  fancy 
fur  you,  'cause  if  you  had  stayed  at  the  fort, 
you  would  have  been  massacreed  with  the  rest." 

"  Massacred  !  "  echoed  Frank.     "  Killed  ! " 

"  Yes ;  killed  an'  scalped.  You  '11  hear  of 
some  fun  at  that  tradin'-post  afore  you  are  two 
days  older,  an'  then,  if  you  go  down  thar,  you 
won't  see  nothin'  but  the  ashes  of  it.  It  would 
have  been  done  last  night  if  that  ar  fur  trader 
had  kept  away  from  thar.  We  had  to  send 
off  arter  more  help.  I  do  n't  mind  tellin'  you 
this/ 'cause  'taint  no  ways  likely  that  you'll 
ever  have  a  chance  to  blab  it.  But  I  come  in 
here  to  ax  you  about  Adam  Brent.  Where 
does  he  sleep  ?  " 


FRANK  LEARNS  SOMETHING.  43 

Frank  did  not  reply;  indeed,  he  scarcely 
heard  the  question,  his  mind  was  so  busy  with 
what  the  outlaw  had  said  to  him.  He  knew 
now  where  all  those  Indians  came  from,  and 
why  they  were  there.  The  information  he  had 
received  almost  paralyzed  him,  and  he  shud- 
dered when  he  pictured  to  himself  the  scenes 
of  horror  that  would  be  enacted  in  that  quiet 
valley,  if  the  savages  were  permitted  to  carry 
out  their  designs.  What  would  become  of  his 
cousin,  of  the  trappers,  of  Captain  Porter,  and 
of  himself?  Of  course  his  friends  would  all 
be  included  in  the  massacre,  and  he,  having  no 
one  to  look  to  for  help,  would  be  compelled  to 
drag  out  a  miserable  existence  among  those 
savages.  But  Frank  determined  that  the  mas- 
sacre should  not  take  place.  At  the  risk  of  his 
own  life  he  would  do  something  to  stop  it. 
His  courage  always  increased  in  proportion  to 
the  number  of  obstacles  he  found  in  his  way, 
and  the  danger  he  was  in,  and  now  he  was 
thoroughly  reckless  and  determined. 

"  I  axed  you  do  you  know  where  Adam  Brent 
sleeps?"  said  the  outlaw,  who  had  grown  tired 
of  waiting  for  an  answer  to  his  question. 


44  FRANK    IN  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

"  He  sleeps  in  the  house,  of  course,"  replied 
Frank. 

"  Wai,  I  reckon  I  knowed  that  much  afore 
you  told  me;  but  what  part  of  the  house?" 

"  I  can't  tell.  I  have  n't  taken  the  trouble 
*o  inquire  into  Mr.  Brent's  family  matters." 

"  1  '11  allow  that  you  tell  the  truth  thar ; 
'cause  if  you  had  axed  any  questions,  you  would 
know  that  Brent  is  my  own  brother,  an'  that 
Adam  is  my  nephew.  Aint  I  a  nice  lookin' 
uncle?" 

"I  don't  believe  a  word  of  it.  What  do 
you  want  with  Adam? 

"I  reckon  that's  my  business,  aint  it?  I 
only  axed  you  where  he  sleeps  'cause  I've  got 
something  to  say  to  him  to-night,  an'  I 
should  n't  care  to  have  his  father  hear  me 
bluijderin'  about  the  house.  I  've  got  a  leetle 
business  with  ole  Bob  Kelly,  too." 

"  If  you  will  take  my  advice  you  will  let 
him  alone,"  said  Frank.  "  Dick  Lewis  is  his 
chum  now." 

"That  don't  make  no  sort  of  difference  to 
me.  I  'm  half  hoss  an'  half  buftaler,  with  a 
leetle  sprinklin'  of  catamounts,  grizzly  bars. 


FRANK   LEARNS  SOMETHING.  45 

an'  sich  like  varmints  thro  wed   in.     I'm  one 

of  them  kind  of  fellers  as  do  n't  stand  no  non- 
sense from  nobody ;  an'  I  'm  the  wust  man  in 
a  rough-an'-tumble  this  side  of  the  States.  I 
aint  afeered  of  Dick  Lewis." 

Having  said  this,  the  outlaw  took  his  de- 
parture, and  Frank,  who  had  gone  through  this 
interview  like  one  in  a  dream,  again  seated 
himself  on  the  buffalo  robes  to  think  over  what 
he  had  heard,  and  to  determine  upon  some 
course  of  action.  He  had  little  imagined  that 
he  would  ever  be  placed  in  a  situation  like 
this,  and  he  did  not  wonder  now  at  the  hatred 
which  Dick  and  old  Bob  cherished  tqward  the 
Indians.  Here  they  were,  awaiting  the  arrivaJ 
of  reinforcements,  and  preparing  for  a  descent 
on  the  fort ;  and  there  were  his  friends  in  the 
valley,  all  unconscious  of  the  danger  hanging 
over  them.  There  had  been  no  Indian  depre- 
dations in  that  section  for  a  long  time,  and 
the  officers  of  the  fort  and  the  settlers  had  been 
lulled  into  a  feeling  of  security  that  promised 
to  be  fatal  to  them.  They  did  not  dream  of 
such  a  thing  as  an  attack ;  the  fortifications  had 
uot  been  kept  in  a  state  of  defense ;  and  unless 


46  FRANK  IN   THE  MOUNTAINS. 

they  were  warned  of  their  danger,  the  success 
oi f  the  Indians  would  be  complete 

"  Oh,  if  they  only  knew  what  is  going  on 
here!  "  cried  Frank,  springing  to  his  feet,  and 
pacing  restlessly  up  and  down  the  lodge.  "If 
I  could  see  them  for  just  one  minute,  would  n't 
these  savages  meet  with  a  warm  reception  when 
they  make  the  attack  on  the  fort?  But  how 
will  they  find  it  out  unless  I  carry  them  the 
information ;  and  how  can  I  effect  my  escape, 
surrounded  as  I  am  by  enemies?" 

This  thought  made  Frank  almost  beside  him- 
self. It  rendered  him  desperate;  and  he  re- 
solved that  if  he  could  see  the  least  chance  for 
escape,  he  would  make  the  attempt  at  once — 
that  very  moment.  There  was  not  a  single  in- 
stant to  be  lost,  for  there  was  no  telling  when 
the  Indians  would  be  ready  to  make  the  attack. 
He  rushed  to  the  door,  tore  it  open,  and  looked 
out.  The  first  object  that  met  his  gaze  was  a 
warrior  standing  close  beside  the  lodge,  leaning 
on  his  spear.  He  was  undoubtedly  a  sentry, 
and  had  been  placed  there  to  watch  the  pris- 
oner. Frank  took  one  glance  at  him,  and  then 
dropped  the  door  to  its  place,  and  h  irrying  to 


FRANK  LEARNS  SOMETHING.  47 

the  other  side  of  the  lodge  pulled  up  the  skina 
and  looked  under  them.  He  saw  now  what  he 
had  not  noticed  before — that  the  lodge  in  which 
he  was  confined  was  in  the  very  center  of  the 
village.  The  nearest  wigwams  were  pitched 
about  fifty  yards  from  it,  leaving  a  clear  space 
on  each  side  that  was  devoted  to  the  holding 
of  councils  and  dances.  Frank  knew  that  he 
could  never  cross  that  space  in  broad  daylight 
without  being  discovered  and  recaptured,  and 
with  a  look  of  disappointment  on  his  face,  he 
dropped  the  skins  and  crawled  back  to  his  seat 
on  the  buffalo  robes. 


48  FBANK  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

THE  TRAPPER  A  PRISONER. 

TF  Frank  was  disappointed  iii  one  respect,  he 
•*-  was  greatly  encouraged  in  another.  He  had 
discovered  something  that  went  a  long  way 
toward  strengthening  his  hopes  of  escape,  and 
that  was  that  the  Indians  were  not  watching 
him  very  closely.  The  guard  at  the  door  had 
not  noticed  him  when  he  looked  out,  and  this 
induced  the  belief  that  the  chief  had  placed 
him  there  simply  to  keep  Frank  from  roaming 
about  the  village;  and  not  because  he  feared 
that  his  prisoner  might  attempt  to  escape. 
That  idea  had  probably  never  occurred  to  him. 
But  the  chief  did  not  know  much  about  boys, 
especially  such  boys  as  Frank  Nelson.  He 
had  yet  to  learn  that  the  young  hunter  pos- 
sessed a  goodly  share  of  courage  and  determina- 
tion, as  well  as  speed  and  activity. 


THE  TRAPPER  A  PRISONER.  49 

Frank  lay  there  on  the  pile  of  buffalo  robes 
-••ntil  dark,  and  then  the  door  opened,  and  an 
old  Indian  woman  came  in  with  a  small  camp- 
kettle,  which  she  placed  upon  the  ground  in 
the  middle  of  the  lodge,  and  went  out  again. 
The  contents  of  the  kettle  were  smoking  hot, 
and  the  odor  that  filled  the  lodge  reminded 
Frank  that  he  had  not  lost  his  appetite,  and 
that  he  was  as  hungry  as  a  wolf,  in  spite  of  all 
the  excitements  of  the  afternoon.  An  exam- 
ination of  the  kettle  showed  that  it  contained 
buffalo  meat.  Taking  his  knife  from  his  pocket, 
Frank  seated  himself  on  the  ground  and  began 
his  supper.  It  was  not  quite  as  good  as  some 
he  had  eaten  at  his  quiet  little  home  on  the 
banks  of  Glen's  Creek,  but  the  buffalo  meat  was 
nourishing,  and  when  the  last  vestige  of  it  had 
disappeared,  Frank  arose  to  his  feet,  put  his 
ki  ife  into  his  pocket,  and  declared  that  he  felt 
better. 

"  I  could  run,  now,  if  these  Indians  would 
only  give  me  half  a  chance,"  said  he,  to  him- 
self. "  I  may  yet  show  them  what  I  can  do, 
unless  they  station  a  sentry  at  the  back  of  this 
lodge.  Now  if  I  only  had  a  drink  of  water  ! " 
4 


50  FRANK  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

As  Frank  said  this  he  went  to  the  djor 
again,  and  there  was  the  guard,  standing  in  the 
game  position  in  which  he  had  seen  him  before, 
leaning  on  his  spear,  and  gazing  off  into  va- 
cancy. Frank  did  not  believe  that  he  had 
moved  a  muscle  during  the  last  two  hours. 

" I  say,  old  fellow ! "  he  exclaimed,  "is  there 
any  water  about  here  ?  "  Then,  fearing  that  the 
savage  might  not  understand  him,  he  made  a 
motion  with  his  hand  as  though  he  were  drink- 
ing from  a  cup. 

The  guard  did  not  reply,  but  beckoned  to 
the  prisoner  to  follow  him,  and  led  the  way 
through  the  village  toward  the  ravine  from 
which  the  chief  and  his  party  had  entered  the 
valley.  Frank,  ever  on  the  alert,  exulted  at 
this.  He  knew  that  the  guard  was  conducting 
him  to  a  spring,  and  he  sincerely  hoped  that 
it  would  prove  to  be  outside  the  village.  In 
that  event,  one  Indian,  even  though  he  was 
armed  with  a  spear,  could  not  prevent  him  from 
making  at  least  an  attempt  at  escape.  If  he 
could  get  but  two  feet  the  start  of  the  sentry, 
he  believed  that  he  could  elude  him  in  the 
darkness.  Unfortunately  for  the  riucxtess  of 


THE  TRAPPER  A  PRISONER.  51 

these  plans,  however,  the  spring  was  not  out- 
side the  village.  It  was  but  a  short  distance 
from  the  place  where  he  had  been  confined, 
and  all  around  it  were  lodges,  beside  which 
stalwart  warriors  lay  upon  their  blankets, 
erajking  their  pipes.  The  least  attempt  at  es- 
cape would  have  brought  them  around  him 
like  a  cloud  of  mosquitoes.  He  must  wait  until 
some  more  favorable  opportunity. 

Frank  kneeled  down  beside  the  spring,  and 
took  a  long  and  refreshing  drink,  and  then 
quietly  followed  the  guard  back  to  his  prison. 
He  looked  into  the  wigwams  as  he  passed 
along,  and  now  that  he  had  in  some  measure 
recovered  his  usual  spirits,  he  began  to  be  in- 
terested in  what  was  going  on  around  him ; 
but  he  did  not  see  any  thing  to  induce  him  to 
give  up  home  and  friends,  and  turn  Indian. 
The  idea  was  a  novel  one  to  him,  and  he  could 
have  smiled  at 'it,  had  it  not  been  for  the  prep- 
arations for  battle  that  were  every-where  visible 
in  the  camp — the  horses  saddled  and  waiting, 
the  weapons  hung  upon  the  poles  of  the  lodge, 
where  they  could  be  seized  at  a  moment's  warn- 
ing, and  the  braves  in  war-paint,  ready  to  move 


52  FRANK   IN  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

at  the  word.  Frank  noticed  these  things,  and 
thought  of  his  friends  at  the  fort.  If  the  ex- 
pected reinforcements  arrived  in  time,  the  sav- 
ages might  make  the  attack  that  very  night. 

When  Frank  found  himself  once  more  inside 
his  prison,  he  stretched  himself  on  the  buffalo 
robes,  and  waited  impatiently  for  the  Indians 
to  go  to  sleep.  How  wearily  the  hours  dragged 
by,  and  how  Frank  alternated  between  hope 
and  fear,  can  be  imagined  better  than  we  can 
describe  it.  Sometimes  he  looked  upon  his  es- 
cape as  an  assured  thing.  When  the  Indians 
were  all  asleep,  it  would  be  a  matter  of  but 
little  difficulty  for  him  to  creep  out  of  the 
lodge,  and  make  his  way  through  the  village 
to  the  ravine.  It  was  easy  enough  for  him  to 
sit  there  on  the  buffalo  robes  and  think  about 
it,  but  when  he  imagined  himself  doing  it,  and 
pictured  to  himself  the  dangers  in  his  way,  his 
hopes  fell  again ;  and  then,  had  it  not  been  for 
the  remembrance  of  what  the  outlaw  had  told 
him,  he  would  have  been  tempted  to  abandon 
all  thoughts  of  escape.  If  it  would  have  re- 
quired all  the  skill  and  cunning  that  Dick  and 
Bob  possessed  to  outwit  the  savages  in  a  case 


THE  TRAPPER  A   PRISONER.  53 

like  this,  what  could  an  inexperienced  boy  of 
sixteen  do? 

Frank  thought  the  Indians  did  not  intend 
to  go  to  sleep  at  all  that  night.  He  heard 
them  moving  about  until  a  late  hour,  and  it 
was  midnight  before  the  silence  that  reigned  in 
the  camp  told  him  that  if  he  ever  intended  to 
carry  out  the  plans  he  had  determined  upon, 
the  time  had  come  to  do  it.  His  heart  beat 
fast  and  furiously  as  he  pulled  off  his  shoes, 
ind  moved  noiselessly  across  the  lodge  toward 
the  corner  in  which  the  chief  had  deposited  his 
blanket  and  spear.  He  was  very  deliberate  in 
his  movements,  and  there  was  need  of  all  his 
caution ;  for  the  guard  stood  almost  within 
reach  of  him,  and  the  slightest  noise  inside  the 
lodge  would  have  brought  him  in  there  imme- 
diately. Frank  threw  the  chiefs  blanket  over 
his  shoulders,  put  on  the  head-dress,  picked  up 
the  spear,  and  crept  cautiously  across  -the  lodge. 
He  threw  himself  upon  his  hands  and  knees, 
and  after  listening  a  moment  to  assure  himself 
that  the  guard  had  not  been  alarmed,  he  lifted 
up  the  skins  which  formed  the  wqll  of  the 
lodge,  and  looked  out.  The  camp  was  as  silent 


54  FRANK   IN  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

as  though  it  had  been  deserted.  On  every 
nand  he  could  see  the  smoldering  embers  of 
the  fires  by  w'lich  the  savages  had  cooked  their 
suppers,  but  not  a  living  being  was  in  sight. 
Drawing  in  a  long  breath  he  crawled  slowly 
out  of  the  lodge,  and  after  lingering  a  moment 
to  arrange  the  blanket  about  his  shoulders,  he 
grasped  the  spear  firmly  in  his  hand,  and  stole 
away  into  the  darkness,  looking  back  now  and 
then  to  make  sure  that  he  was  keeping  the 
lodge  between  him  and  the  guard.  An  inter- 
vening row  of  wigwams  finally  shut  his  prison 
from  his  sight,  and  Frank  began  to  congratu- 
late himself  on  having  accomplished  the  most 
difficult  part  of  his  undertaking. 

"When  the  chief's  reinforcements  arrive,  and 
he  makes  the  attack  on  the  fort,  and  finds  the 
trappers  and  soldiers  ready  to  receive  him, 
he  will  wish  he  had  taken  a  little  more  pains 
to  watch  me,"  thought  Frank,  as,  with  a  step 
that  would  not  have  awakened  a  cricket,  he 
made  his  way  through  the  village  toward  the 
ravine.  "  If  Dick  and  Bob  had  been  his  pris- 
oners he  would,  no  doubt,  have  kept  them 
bound  hand  and  foot ;  but  I  'm  a  boy,  and  he 


THE  TRAPPER  A  PRISONER.  55 

thought  he  had  nothing  to  fear  from  me.     I  '11 
teach  him  something." 

The  tall  figure  of  an  Indian  glided  suddenly 
across  the  path  in  front  of  him,  and  interrupted 
his  soliloquy.  Frank's  first  impulse  was  to 
throw  down  the  spear  and  blanket,  and  take  to 
his  heels;  but  remembering  in  time  that  he 
was  personating  an  Indian,  and  that  every 
thing  depended  upon  his  getting  out  of  the  vil- 
lage before  the  guard  at  the  chiefs  wigwam 
discovered  his  flight,  he  straightened  up  and 
boldly  approached  the  Indian,  who  merely 
turned  his  head  and  looked  at  Frank,  and  then 
disappeared  among  the  lodges.  That  was  an- 
other danger  passed ;  and  commending  the  fore- 
thought that  had  induced  him  to  use  the  chiefs 
clothing  as  a  disguise,  he  kept  on  with  increased 
speed  toward  the  mountains,  which,  to  his  im- 
patient eye,  seemed  as  far  off  as  when  he  left 
his  prison.  But  he  was  gradually  nearing  them 
all  the  while,  and  when  the  last  lodge  had  been 
left  behind,  and  was  concealed  from  his  view 
by  the  thick  shrubbery  and  trees  that  lined  the 
banks  of  the  ravine,  his  fear  and  trembling 
vanished,  and  it  was  all  he  could  do  to  refrain 


66  FRANK   IN  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

from  giving  vent  to  his  jubilant  feelings.  He 
sat  down  on  the  ground  to  put  on  his  shoes, 
which  he  had  been  thoughtful  enough  to  bring 
with  him,  the.i  took  the  blanket  under  his  arm, 
and  never  stopping  to  think  that  there  might 
be  Indians  in  front  of  him  as  well  as  behind, 
he  broke  into  a  run  and  flew  down  the  ravine 
like  the  wind. 

"I  haven't  done  much  to  brag  of,  seeing 
that  I  was  not  very  closely  watched,"  thought 
he,  "  but  still  I  think  I  have  played  those  sav- 
ages a  pretty  sharp  trick.  Now,  if  I  only  had 
Dick's  speed  and  experience  !  " 

If  Frank  had  possessed  the  trapper's  expe- 
rience, he  would  have  been  much  more  cautious 
in  his  movements,  and  might,  perhaps,  have 
succeeded  in  reaching  the  valley  in  safety.  He 
would  have  curbed  his  eagerness  which  proved 
fatal  to  his  hopes.  There  was  a  party  of  In- 
dians coming  up  the  ravine  with  a  prisoner; 
and  their  quick  ears  caught  the  sound  of 
Frank's  footsteps  long  before  he  came  in  sight. 
Tl.e  prisoner  knew  who  it  was  approaching  at 
that  reckless  gate,  and  so  did  the  Indians,  who, 
at  a  sign  from  their  leader,  quickly  concealec 


THE  TRAPPER  A   PRISONER.  57 

themselves  beside  the  path ;  and  when  Frank 
was  on  the  point  of  passing  their  ambush,  a 
figure  which  seemed  to  rise  out  of  the  ground 
clasped  him  in  its  strong  arms,  and  he  was  a 
prisoner  again  almost  before  he  knew  it. 

The  first  Indian  who  confronted  him,  as  he 
was  lifted  to  his  feet,  was  the  chief,  who  aston- 
ished his  prisoner  by  the  reception  he  gave 
him.  He  seemed  somewhat  surprised  to  see 
him  there,  but  he  did  not  appear  to  be  angry. 
He  looked  at  the  blanket  and  spear,  then  at 
Frank,  and  giving  him  a  hearty  slap  on  the 
back  said,  approvingly  : 

"  Good  boy  !     Make  fine  Injun,  some  day  !  " 

Frank,  although  his  face  was  very  pale,  and 
he  was  trembling  in  every  limb,  was  not  as 
badly  frightened  now  as  when  he  first  found 
himself  in  the  power  of  the  savages.  For  him- 
self he  was  not  at  all  concerned,  for  he  did  not 
stand  in  any  fear  of  bodily  harm ;  but  there 
were  his  friends  in  the  valley,  whom  he  was  so 
anxious  to  warn  of  their  danger !  It  was  of 
them  he  thought,  and  not  of  himself. 

"  I  say,  youngster,"  said  a  cheery,  familiar 
voice,  close  at  his  elbow,  "you've  got  a  few 


58  FRANK    IN  THE    MOUNTAINS. 

things  to  larn  yet,  haint  you?  When  a  feller 
is  in  an  Injun  country  he  can't  go  tearin* 
through  the  woods  as  you  did  a  minute  ago. 
I  can't  shake  hands  with  you,  'cause  I  am  tied 
hard  and  fast." 

"Dick  Lewis!"  cried  Frank,  in  alarm.  He 
was  too  astonished  to  speak  again  immediately. 
The  redoubtable  trapper  was  always  turning 
up  most  unexpectedly,  and  generally,  too,  at 
just  the  moment  when  his  services  were  most 
needed ;  but  on  this  occasion  he  was  not  in  a 
condition  to  assist  his  young  friend.  For  the 
first  time  in  his  life  Frank  was  not  glad  to  see 
Dick.  He  would  rather  have  had  him  a  hun- 
dred miles  from  there,  for  he  knew  that  the 
treatment  the  trapper  would  receive  at  the 
hands  of  his  savage  foes  would  be  very  differ- 
ent from  his  own. 

""Well,  what  are  you  doing  here?"  asked 
Frank,  at  length. 

"  I  might  ask  you  the  same  question,  I 
reckon,"  replied  Dick.  "What  business  had 
you  to  go  roamin'  off  alone  in  the  mountains, 
arter  I  had  told  you  to  keep  your  eyes  open 
fur  these  Injuns?  I  knowed  what  was  up  the 


THE  TRAPPER  A  PRISONER.  59 

minute  Archie  come  home  without  you;  an* 
me  an'  Bob  set  out  to  find  you.  Bob's  old  legs 
tuk  him  safe  out  of  danger,  but  I  was  ketched. 
I  am  here  'cause  I  can't  help  myself." 

"But,  Dick,  does  Captain  Porter  know  that 
these  Indians  have  suddenly  turned  hostile?" 

"Turned!"  exclaimed  Dick.  "They've  been 
hostile  ever  since  they  was  born.  In  course 
he  knows  it.  Come  up  closer,  youngster,  so 
that  I  can  whisper  to  you,  an'  I'll  tell  you 
something." 

While  this  conversation  was  going  on,  the 
prisoners  were  being  conducted  up  the  ravine 
toward  the  camp.  The  chief  led  the  way,  two 
Indians,  who  stepped  exactly  in  his  tracks,  fol- 
lowed close  at  his  heels,  Frank  and  Dick,  who 
walked  side  by  side,  came  next,  and  two  more 
Indians  brought  up  the  rear.  The  savages 
made  no  attempt  to  restrain  their  prisoners 
from  talking,  and  Frank  was  glad  it  was  so. 

''  The  Cap'n  did  n't  like  the  way  these  Injuns 
acted  this  mornin',  no  more  'n  I  did,"  continued 
the  trapper,  in  a  low  tone.  "  He  spoke  to  the 
major,  an'  told  him  that  if  he  knowed  when  he 
was  well  off  he  would  look  out  fur  things  a 


60  FRANK   IN  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

icetle ;  an'  the  ole  feller  tuk  the  hint  an'  set 
his  soldiers  to  work  on  the  fort.  Thar 's  too 
many  ole  trappers  down  in  that  valley,  an'  they 
can't  be  tuk  by  surprise." 

"  You  do  n't  know  how  overjoyed  I  am  to 
hear  that,"  whispered  Frank,  who  now  breathed 
more  freely  than  at  any  time  since  he  had  fallen 
into  the  hands  of  the  savages.  "Then  Archie 
will  be  safe,  won't  he?" 

"  Sartin  he  will,  unless  he  goes  about  pokin' 
his  nose  into  danger  like  he  allers  does.  He  's 
jest  spilin'  to  have  his  bar  raised,  Archie  is, 
an'  it  was  all  me  an'  ole  Bob  could  do  to  keep 
him  from  comin'  with  us  when  we  set  out  to 
look  fur  you.  The  chiefs  goin'  to  make  an 
Injun  of  you,  I  can  see  that  easy  enough." 

"That's  what  Black  Bill  says." 

"Black  Bill!"  echoed  the  trapper.  "Is  he 
about  here?  Wai,  if  I  don't  settle  with  him 
ole  Bob  will,  so  it's  all  the  same.  I  kinder 
thought,  by  the  squint  in  the  chiefs  eye,  that 
it  would  have  been  better  fur  you  if  you  had 
kopt  away  from  that  camp,"  he  continued. 
"  Injuns  do  n't  giner'ly  take  sich  a  monstrous 
shine  to  white  boys  fur  nothing.  It  won't  be 


THE  TRAPPER  A   PRISONER.  61 

long  afore  you  '11  have  a  chance  to  see  how  the 
red  skins  treat  their  prisoners.  Mebbe  the 
chief  will  get  up  a  show  fur  you  to-night." 

" A  show!"  repeated  Frank. 

"Yes.  How  would  you  like  to  see  ine  tied 
to  the  stake,  or  runnin'  the  gauntlet?" 

No  one,  to  have  heard  the  trapper  speak 
these  words,  would  have  imagined  that  he  had 
any  fears  that  such  would  be  his  fate ;  but 
Frank  knew  that  he  expected  nothing  else. 

"  The  chief  is  awful  mad  at  me,"  continued 
Dick.  "  Thar  were  'leven  men  in  his  party, 
when  me  an'  ole  Bob  first  diskivered  'em,  an' 
now  you  do  n't  see  but  four,  do  you  ?  Thar 's 
four  more  behind  us,  bringin'  up  the  three 
that  me  an'  Bob  rubbed  out.  I  '11  have  to 
stand  punishment  fur  that ;  but  I  do  n't  reckon 
that  burnin'  me  or  slashin'  me  with  tomahawks 
will  bring  to  life  all  the  braves  I  have  sent  to 
the  happy  huntin'  grounds." 

A  long,  mournful  yell  from  the  chief  inter- 
rupted the  conversation.  Frank  looked  up  and 
eaw  the  village  in  plain  sight.  The  chief  had 
given  that  yell  to  warn  the  camp  of  his  arrival. 
Dick  called  it  the  "death-whoop,"  and  said 


62  FRANK  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

that  one  object  of  it  was  to  inform  the  war- 
riors that  some  of  those,  who  had  gone  out  on 
the  scout  with  the  chief,  had  fallen  by  the 
hands  of  their  enemies.  Presently  an  answer 
came  echoing  through  the  woods,  then  another, 
and  another ;  and  when  they  emerged  from  the 
ravine,  Frank  found  the  village,  which  had  been 
so  quiet  when  he  left  it  but  a  few  minutes  be- 
fore, alive  with  men,  women,  and  children,  who 
seemed  wild  with  excitement  and  rage.  When 
their  eyes  rested  on  the  trapper,  they  gave  ut- 
terance to  savage  yells  of  exultation,  and  almost 
before  Frank  was  aware  of  it,  he  was  standing 
alone,  gazing  after  a  crowd  of  struggling,  fran- 
tic Indians,  who  were  bearing  his  fellow  pris- 
oner toward  the  chiePs  wigwam.  Tomahawks 
and  knives  were  flourished  in  the  air  close  to 
Dick's  face,  arrows  and  rifles  were  pointed  at 
his  breast,  spears  were  thrust  at  him,  and  now 
and  then  hickory  switches  in  the  hands  of  those 
behind  him,  fell  with  stinging  force  on  his  head 
and  shoulders.  Before  he  was  carried  out  of 
sight,  his  face  was  bleeding  from  more  than 
one  wound ;  but  Frank  looked  in  vain  for  any 
expression  of  fear.  The  trapper  was  apparently 


THE  TRAPPER  A  PRISONER.  63 

as  calm  and  self-possessed  as  he  would  have 
been  had  he  at  that  moment  been  smoking  his 
pipe  on  the  porch  of  Mr.  Brent's  rancho.  He 
never  winced  when  the  weapons  of  his  savage 
foes  passed  within  an  inch  of  his  person — in- 
deed, one  would  have  thought,  from  his  manner, 
that  he  did  not  see  them  all.  Never  before  had 
Frank  witnessed  such  an  exhibition  of  courage 
and  fortitude. 

When  the  trapper  had  disappeared  from  his 
view,  Frank,  who  had  stood  rooted  to  the 
ground,  horrified  by  the  scene  he  was  witness- 
ing, awoke  to  a  sense  of  his  own  situation,  and 
began  to  look  about  him.  Although  there 
were  Indians  on  all  sides  of  him,  no  one  seemed 
to  take  the  least  notice  of  him.  His  hands 
were  tied  behind  his  back,  but  he  could  move 
about  as  he  pleased,  for  his  feet  were  free. 
Scarcely  knowing  what  he  was  doing,  he  fol- 
lowed in  the  direction  the  crowd  had  gone; 
and  when  he  arrived  at  the  chief's  lodge  he 
found  that  some  unusual  event  was  about  to 
take  place.  The  yells  were  hushed,  and  the 
roost  of  the  Indians  were  gathered  in  a  body 
on  due  side  of  the  douncil  ground,  in  the  center 


64  FRANK   IN  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

of  which  two  or  three  warriors  were  busy  kin- 
dling a  fire.  Upon  looking  around  for  the 
trapper,  he  discovered  him  at  the  opposite  side 
of  the  ground,  standing  with  his  back  to  a  post, 
to  which  he  was  securely  bound.  Near  him 
stood  a  couple  of  armed  Indians;  and  when 
Frank  approached  his  friend,  they  motioned 
him  angrily  to  retire. 

"  Oh,  do  n't  I  wish  that  my  hands  were  un- 
bound, and  that  I  could  have  the  free  use  of 
my  knife  for  just  one  minute  ?"  groaned  Frank, 
as  he  reluctantly  retraced  his  steps  toward  the 
chiefs  wigwam.  "  Dick  would  n't  be  in  that 
fix  long.  He  has  saved  me  more  than  once, 
and  I  would  risk  any  thing,  if  I  could  do  as 
much  for  him  now.  Where  is  Bob,  that  he 
don't  bring  the  trappers  up  here  and  attack 
these  Indians?" 

Frank  stood  off  by  himself  and  watched  the 
preparations  going  on  around  him,  and  won- 
dered what  would  be  the  next  torture  the  sav- 
ages would  devise  for  their  prisoner.  He  could 
not  have  been  more  terrified  if  he  had  occupied 
Dick's  place,  and  had  been  every  moment  ex- 
peoting  to  hear  the  death  sentence  passed  upon 


THE  TRAPPER  A  PRISONER.  65 

him.  He  did  not  like  the  deliberation  and 
gravity  with  which  the  Indians  conducted  their 
proceedings,  nor  the  scowls  of  mingled  hatred 
and  triumph  which  they  threw  across  the 
council -ground  toward  the  helpless  trapper.  He 
thought  things  looked  exceedingly  dark  for  his 
friend. 

The  huge  fire  that  had  been  kindled  by  the 
warriors  was  well  under  way  at  last,  and  a 
dozen  chiefs  walked  out  from  among  their  com- 
panions, and  seated  themselves  in  a  circle 
around  it.  The  first  business  in  order  was 
smoking  the  pipe  of  peace.  The  pipe  was 
brought  in  by  an  aged  warrior,  -who  lighted  it 
with  a  brand  from  the  fire,  and  was  about  to 
present  it  to  the  principal  chief,  when  the  pro- 
ceedings were  interrupted  by  the  arrival  of  a 
party  of  four  men,  who  walked  up  to  the  fire 
without  ceremony,  and  seated  themselves  near 
it.  Frank  recognized  them  at  a  glance ;  and 
that  same  glance  showed  him  that  they  had 
not  come  alone.  They  had  brought  a  prisoner 
with  them,  and  he  was  standing  near  the  trap- 
per, with  his  hands  bound  behind  his  back. 


5 


66  PRANK  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS 


CHAPTER  V. 

ARCHIE  FINDS  A   NEW  UNCLE. 

TTK)R  an  hour  and  a  half  after  Frank  left  hirr, 
*-  Archie  walked  up  and  down  the  banks  f.f 
the  brook,  pulling  out  trout  of  a  size  and 
weight  that  astonished  him.  When  nrarJy  two 
hundred  splendid  fish  had  been  placed  upon  his 
string,  he  put  his  line  into  his  pocket,  leaned 
his  pole  against  a  tree  where  he  kaew  he  could 
find  it  again  if  he  should  happen  to  want  it, 
mounted  his  horse,  and  rode  slowly  toward  the 
ranoho,  keeping  a  good  lookout  on  every  side 
for  his  cousin,  and  wondering  what  had  become 
of  him.  It  was  getting  late.  The  sun  lad 
sunk  below  the  western  mountains,  the  shadows 
of  twilight  were  creeping  through  the  valley, 
and  Archie  began  to  fear  that  Frank  was  in  a 
fair  way  to  pass  the  night  among  the  grizzlies. 
He  did  not  find  him  at  the  rancho;  Adam  had 


ARCHIE  FINDS  A  NEW  UNCLE.  67 

not  seen  him,  and  neither  had  Dick,  who,  upon 
finding  that  Archie  had  returned  alone,  pulled 
off  his  sombrero,  and  scratched  his  head  furi- 
ously, as  he  always  did  when  any  thing  trou- 
bled aim. 

"  Where 's  the  boy  that  fit  that  ar  Greaser?" 
he  asked,  with  some  anxiety  in  his  tone. 

"  I  am  sure  I  do  n't  know,"  was  the  reply. 
"  He  went  into  the  mountains  to  hunt  up  an 
elk  for  supper,  and  I  have  n't  seen  him  since." 

"  The  keerless  feller!"  exclaimed  the  trapper. 

"  He  '11  have  to  camp  out  all  night  if  he 
does  n't  come  back  pretty  soon,"  continued 
Archie.  "  AVon't  he  have  a  glorious  time 
among  the  bears  and  panthers?  I  wish  I  had 
gone  with  him,  for  I  know  he  will  be  lone- 
some." 

"  You  can  thank  your  luoky  stars  that  you 
stayed  at  home.  Thar's  a  heap  wusser  things 
iu  the  world  than  grizzlies  an'  painters." 

The  tone  in  which  these  words  were  spoken 
made  Archie  uneasy;  and  when  Dick  drew  old 
Bob  and  the  Captain  off  on  one  side,  and  held 
a  whispered  consultation  with  them,  he  began 
to  be  really  alarmed.  He  bad  never  seen  the 


68  FRANK  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

trapper  act  so  strangely.  Heretofore,  when 
Frank  had  got  into  trouble,  Di<;k  had  always 
said:  "I  jest  know  he'll  come  out  all  right;  ' 
but  he  did  not  say  so  now.  Archie  could  see 
that  there  was  something  in  the  wind  that  he 
did  not  understand. 

While  the  Captain  and  his  men  were  con- 
versing, a  trapper  galloped  up  to  the  porch, 
and  hurriedly  ascending  the  steps,  communi- 
cated in  a  whisper  what  was  plainly  a  very  ex- 
citing piece  of  news,  for  an  expression  of  anx- 
iety overspread  the  Captain's  face,  old  Bob 
thumped  the  floor  energetically  with  the  butt 
of  his  rifle,  and  Dick  once  more  pulled  off  his 
sombrero  and  dug  his  fingers  into  his  hair. 
Almost  at  the  same  moment  a  second  horseman 
approached  from  another  direction,  and  he  had 
something  to  tell  that  increased  the  excitement. 
The  Captain  listened  attentively  to  his  story, 
and  then  gave  a  few  oiders  in  a  low  tone  to 
Dick  and  Bob,  who  si  ouldered  their  rifles, 
sprang  down  the  steps,  and  stole  off  into  the 
darkness  like  two  specters.  They  had  not 
made  many  steps  before  A;-chie  was  at  their 
heels. 


ARCHIE  FINDS  A  NEW  UNCLE.  6£ 

"Now,  then,  you  keerless  feller,  jest  trot 
right  back  to  the  house  agin,"  said  Dick. 

"  If  you  are  going  out  to  look  for  Frank  I 
want  to  go  too,"  replied  Archie.  "  I  can  keep 
up  with  you." 

"Go  back,"  repeated  the  trapper;  "you'll 
only  be  in  the  way.  Thar's  goin'  to  be  queer 
doin's  in  this  yere  valley,  an'  you  '11  see  enough 
to  make  you  glad  to  stay  in  the  house." 

"What's  up  here,  any  how?"  asked  Archie, 
as  he  mounted  the  steps  that  led  to  the  porcb 
where  Adam  Brent  was  waiting  for  him. 

"  Indians,"  was  the  reply. 

"  Indians ! "  repeated  Archie,  who  now 
thought  he  understood  what  the  trapper  meant 
when  he  said  that  there  were  things  in  the 
world  more  to  be  dreaded  than  bears  and  pan- 
thers. "  You  surely  do  n't  expect  trouble  with 
them?" 

"  That 's  what  they  say,"  replied  Adam,  coolly. 
"I  heard  Captain  Porter  tell  father  that  they 
would  be  down  on  us,  like  a  hawk  on  a  June- 
bug,  before  we  see  the  sun  rise  again." 

"Well,  I— I— Eh!"  stammered  Archie,  al- 
most paralyzed  by  the  information. 


70  FRANK  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

"Oil,  it's  the  truth.  In  the  first  place,  they 
changed  their  camp  very  suddenly  this  after- 
noon, and  without  any  cause;  and  since  then 
they  haven't  showed  themselves  in  the  valley. 
That's  a  bad  sign.  When  you  know  there  are 
Indians  about  you,  and  you  can't  see  them,  look 
out  for  them,  for  they  mean  mischief  But 
when  they  are  all  around  you,  and  you  have 
to  watch  them  closely  to  keep  them  from  steal- 
ing every  thing  you've  got,  there's  nothing 
to  foar.  In  the  next  place,  one  of  Captain 
Porter's  trappers,  who  was  out  hunting  this 
afternoon,  said  that  he  crossed  the  trail  of  a 
war  party,  numbering  at  least  five  hundred 
men.  Another  trapper  brought  the  informa- 
tion that  there  is  a  large  camp  of  Indians  about 
ten  miles  back  in  the  mountains,  and  that  the 
braves  are  all  in  war-paint.  Father  says  it  is 
plain  enough  to  him  that  they  have  determined 
upon  a  general  massacre  of  all  the  settlers  in 
the  country.  There'll  be  fun  in  this  valley 
before  morning,  and  you  '11  hear  sounds  and  see 
sights  you  never  dreamed  of." 

Archie  was  astounded — not  only  at  the  news 
he  had  heard,  but  aleo  at  the  free  and  easy 


ARCHIE  FINDS  A  NEW   UNCLE.  71 

manner  in  which  it  was  communicated.  He 
was  trembling  in  every  limb  with  suppressed 
excitement  and  alarm ;  and  here  was  this  new 
friend  of  his  standing  with  his  hands  in  his 
pockets,  and  talking  about  a  fight  with  the 
Indians — which  would  be  delayed  but  a  few 
hours  at  the  most — with  as  much  apparent  in- 
difference and  unconcern  as  if  it  had  been  some 
holiday  pastime.  But  then  Adam  was  accus- 
tomed to  such  things.  The  house  in  which  he 
lived  has  been  used  as  a  fort  in  days  gone  by, 
and  when  trouble  was  expected  with  the  sav- 
ages, the  settlers,  for  miles  around,  would  flock 
into  it  for  protection.  It  had  withstood  more 
than  one  siege,  and  Adam,  before  he  was  strong 
enough  to  lift  a  rifle  to  his  shoulder,  had  heard 
the  war-whoop  echoing  through  the  valley,  and 
had  molded  bullets  and  cut  patching  for  the 
men  who  were  standing  at  his  father's  side, 
defending  the  house  agajnst  the  assaults  of  the 
savages.  Archie  could  have  told  of  things 
that  would  have  made  Adam's  hair  stand  on 
end.  He  had  ridden  in  the  cars  and  on  steam- 
boats; and  he  had  held  the  helm  of  the  Speed- 
well in  many  a  race  around  Strawberry  island, 


72  FRANK   IX  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

when  the  white  caps  were  running,  and  the 
wind  blowing  half  a  gale.  Adam,  in  these 
situations,  would  have  been  as  badly  frightened 
as  Archie  was  now. 

While  the  latter  was  thinking  over  what  he 
had  heard,  and  wishing  that  his  friend  could 
impart  to  him  some  of  his  indifference  and 
courage,  Mr.  Brent,  who,  with  his  men,  had 
been  engaged  in  collecting  the  valuables  in  the 
house,  and  loading  them  into  a  wagon  for  trans- 
portation to  the  fort,  approached,  and  said  to 
his  son : 

"Adam,  get  your  rifle  and  ammunition,  and 
go  down  to  the  fort  and  stay  there  until  I 
come.  Archie,  you  had  better  go  with  him." 

Archie  thought  this  good  advice.  If  the 
Indians  had  really  determined  on  making  a 
descent  into  the  valley — and  he  knew  that 
Mr.  Brent  had  had  too  much  experience  to  be 
deceived  in  such  matters — the  sooner  he  found 
a  place  of  safety  the  better  it  would  be  for  him. 
He  had  been  considerably  disappointed  because 
he  had  not  been  allowed  an  opportunity  to 
assist  the  settlers  in  their  fight  with  Don  Car- 
los and  his  men,  but  he  had  never  expressed 


AECHIE  FINDS  A  NEW   UNCLE.  73 

a  desire  to  take  part  in  a  battle  with  the  In- 
dians. He  trembled  at  the  thought ;  and  he 
was  almost  afraid  to  ride  through  the  grove 
with  Adam.  He  held  his  rifle  in  readiness  foi 
instant  use,  and  so  nervous  and  excited  was  he, 
that  it  might  have  been  dangerous  for  even  a 
friendly  trapper  to  approach  him  unexpectedly. 
He  and  Adam  reached  the  fort,  however,  with- 
out encountering  any  of  their  enemies;  and 
then  Archie  drew  a  long  breath  of  relief,  and 
began  to  feel  more  like  himself. 

Every  one  of  the  hundred  soldiers  compris- 
ing the  garrison  was  hard  at  work ;  and  so 
were  the  trappers.  Some  were  engaged  in  re- 
pairing the  palisades,  some  were  covering  the 
roofs  of  the  buildings  with  earth,  to  prevent 
the  savages  from  setting  them  on  fire  with 
lighted  arrows,  others  were  cleaning  and  load- 
ing the  weapons,  and  every  thing  was  done 
without  the  least  noise  or  confusion.  Not  a 
word  was  spoken  above  a  whisper;  the  men 
moved  about  with  cautious  footsteps,  and  a 
person  standing  at  a  distance  of  fifty  yards  from 
the  fort,  could  not  have  told  that  there  waa 
any  one  stirring  within  its  walls.  One  thing 


74  FRANK  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

that  surprised  Archie  was,  that  among  all  these 
men,  who  had  fought  the  Indians  more  than 
once,  and  who  knew  just  what  their  fate  would 
be  if  the  fort  proved  too  weak  to  resist  the 
attacks  of  their  savage  foes,  there  was  not  one 
who  seemed  to  be  in  the  least  concerned. 
There  were  some  pale  faces  among  them — pale 
with  excitement  rather  than  fear — but  their 
manner  was  quiet  and  confident,  and  Archie 
began  to  gather  courage. 

His  first  care  was  to  look  up  a  place  of  safety 
for  his  horse.  The  garrison  being  composed 
entirely  of  cavalrymen,  there  was  plenty  of 
stable  room  in  the  fort,  and  Archie  soon  found 
an  empty  stall,  in  which  he  tied  the  mustang; 
and  after  strapping  his  revolvers  •  around  his 
waist,  and  filling  his  pockets  with  cartridges 
for  his  rifle,  he  went  out  to  look  about  the 
fortifications.  He  found  Adam  in  the  soldiers' 
quarters,  sitting  beside  a  fire,  and  engaged  in 
running  bullets.  He  kept  him  company  for  a 
while,  but  he  was  too  uneasy  and  excited  to 
remain  long  in  one  place,  and  finally  he  went 
out  again,  and  resumed  his  wanderings  about 
the  fort.  He  watched  the  soldiers  at  their 


ABOHIE  FINDS  A  NEW  UNCLE.  75 

work,  looked  at  the  loop-holes,  and  tried  to 
imagine  how  he  should  feel  standing  at  one  of 
them  when  the  bullets  and  arrows  were  whis- 
tling about  his  ears,  and  the  fort  was  sur- 
rounded by  hundreds  of  yelling  Indians  thirst- 
ing for  his  blood,  and  at  last  he  found  his  <vay 
out  of  the  gate  to  the  prairie  where  Frank  had 
run  the  foot-race  a  few  hours  before.  How 
lonesome  the  place  seemed  now,  and  what  an 
unearthly  silence  brooded  over  it !  Archie  felt 
his  courage  giving  away  again,  and  aroused 
himself  with  an  effort. 

"  I  am  getting  to  be  a  regular  coward,"  said 
lie,  to  himself.  "  If  Frank  were  here  he  would 
be  ashamed  of  me.  I  'd  like  to  know  where  he 
is,  and  what  he  is  doing.  I  hope  he  has  made 
his  camp  where  the  Indians  will  not  stumble 
upon  it.  There's  the  Captain  going  back  to 
the  house.  If  it  is  safe  there  for  him,  I  guess 
it  is  safe  for  me,  too." 

Archie  shouldered  his  rifle,  and  hurried  off 
in  the  direction  the  Captain  had  gone.  He 
passed  through  the  grove  in  safety,  and  when 
he  reached  the  house  he  found  that  Mr.  Brent 
and  his  men  were  still  engaged  in  collecting 


76  FRANK  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

all  the  movable  property,  and  hauling  it  to  the 
fort.  The  former  knew  that  all  his  stock, 
barns,  and  crops  would  be  destroyed,  and  it 
was  his  desire  to  save  as  much  of  his  household 
furniture  as  possible. 

Archie  leaned  his  rifle  in  one  corner,  and 
worked  with  the  rest  until  the  wagon  was 
loaded,  and  then  sat  down  on  the  porch  to 
await  its  return  from  the  fort.  He  wished 
he  had  gone  with  it  before  many  minutes  had 
passed  over  his  head,  for  scarcely  had  the 
wagon  disappeared  when  he  heard  a  stealthy 
step  behind  him,  and,  upon  looking  up,  he 
saw  three  trappers  standing  close  at  his  elbow. 
Although  he  was  startled  by  their  sudden  ap- 
pearance, he  was  not  alarmed,  for  he  thought 
that  he  recognized  them  as  some  of  the  men 
belonging  to  Captain  Porter's  expedition ;  but 
a  second  glance  showed  him  that  they  were 
strangers.  He  sprang  to  his  feet,  and,  boldly 
confronting  the  men,  waited  for  them  to  make 
known  their  business.  They  looked  at  him 
closely  for  a  moment,  and  then  one  of  them 
said  to  his  companions  : 

"That's  him,  aint  it?" 


AECHIE  FINDS  A  NEW  UNCLE.          77 

"I  reckon  it  is,"  replied  another.  "Now, 
my  cub,  no  screechin'  or  fussin'.  If  you  make 
the  least  noise,  you  're  a  goner." 

Archie  did  not  hear  all  this  warning,  for, 
while  the  trapper  was  speaking,  he  had  seized 
the  boy  in  an  iron  grasp,  and  pressed  a  brawny 
hand  over  his  mouth  to  stifle  his  cries  for  help; 
another  tore  his  revolvers  from  his  waist;  the 
third  caught  up  his  feet  and  held  them  firmly 
under  his  arm ;  and,  before  Archie  could  fairly 
make  up  his  mind  what  was  going  on,  he  was 
being  carried  rapidly  across  the  valley  toward 
the  mountains.  Astonished  and  enraged,  he 
struggled  furiously  for  a  time,  but  all  to  no 
purpose;  he  was  held  as  firmly  as  if  he  .had 
been  in  a  vice ;  and,  exhausted  at  last  by  his 
efforts,  he  lay  quietly  in  the  grasp  of  his  cap- 
tors, wondering  at  this  new  adventure,  and 
trying  in  vain  to  find  some  explanation  for  it. 
He  was  not  kept  long  in  ignorance,  however, 
for  in  a  few  minutes  the  trappers  had  carried 
him  across  the  valley,  through  the  willows 
that  skirted  the  base  of  the  mountains,  and 
into  a  deep,  thickly-wooded  ravine,  and  set 
him  down  in  front  of  a  camp-fire,  before  which 


78  FRANK   IN   THE   MOUNTAINS. 

stood  a  tall,  fierce-looking  man  leaning  on  bis 
rifle. 

Archie  was  so  bewildered  that,  for  a  minute 
or  two,  he  could  not  have  told  whether  he  was 
a  vake  or  dreaming.  He  swallowed  a  few  times 
to  overcome  the  effect  of  the  choking  he  had 
received,  rubbed  his  eyes,  and  looked  about 
him;  and  all  the  while  the  tall  trapper  stood 
regarding  him,  with  a  savage  smile  on  his  face, 
while  his  three  companions  seated  themselves 
beside  the  fire,  and  coolly  proceeded  to  fill  their 
pipes. 

"  It 's  him,  aint  it,  Bill  ? "  asked  one,  at 
length. 

"Yes,"  replied  the  person  addressed,  still 
looking  fixedly  at  his  prisoner,  and  evidently 
enjoying  his  bewilderment,  "it's  him.  Seems 
to  me  you  might  have  a  good  word  to  say  to 
your  uncle,  seein'  it 's  so  long  since  we  've  met 
one  another." 

"  My  uncle  ! "  exclaimed  Archie,  now  for  the 
first  time  recovering  the  use  of  his  tongue. 

"Sartin.  You  aint  agoin'  to  deny  it?  You 
aint  agoin'  back  on  me,  are  you  ?  I  've  been 
through  a  heap  since  I  seed  you  last — I  've 


ARCHIE  FINDS  A  NEW  UNCLE.  79 

been  chawed  up  by  bars  an'  catamounts,  an' 
been  shot  at  by  Injuns  an'  white  fellers,  an' 
mebbe  I  've  changed  a  leetle.  I  never  did 
brag  much  on  my  good  looks,  but  I'm  yonr 
uncle,  fur  all  that." 

"  You  ! "  almost  shouted  Archie,  gazing  in 
amazement  at  the  trapper's  dark,  scarred  face; 
"you  my  uncle!  Not  if  I  know  who  I  am, 
and  I  think  I  do.  Do  you  take  me  for  a  luna- 
tic, or  are  you  crazy  yourself?" 

"Nary  one,  I  reckon.  I  take  you  fur  my 
nephew — Adam  Brent — an'  I  know  what  I  'm 
sayin'." 

"Well,  if  Adam  has  such  a  looking  uncle  as 
you  are,  I  am  sorry  for  him.  You've  made  a 
great  mistake.  My  name  is  Winters,  if  it  will 
do  you  any  good  to  know  it." 

"  No,  I  reckon  not,"  replied  the  trapper,  who 
seemed  to  be  greatly  pleased  at  his  prisoner's 
pluck  and  independence.  "  I  reckon  you  're 
Adam  Brent." 

"  I  guess  I  ought  to  know  what  my  name  is, 
hadn't  I?"  exclaimed  Archie,  angrily.  "Who 
are  yo.i,  anyhow,  and  what  business  have  you 
to  rake  me  away  from  my  friends?" 


80  FRANK  FN  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

*  I  'ra  your  uncle — Bill  Brent — Black  Bill 
fur  short ;  an'  as  fur  the  business  I  have  in 
takin'  you  prisoner,  it 's  the  business  every 
man 's  got  to  right  the  wrongs  that 's  been 
done  him.  That 's  what 's  the  matter." 

Archie  very  deliberately  seated  himself  upon 
the  ground,  rested  his  chin  on  his  hands,  and 
looked  up  at  the  outlaw.  "  I  know  you  now," 
said  he,  "and  I  have  no  desire  for  a  more  in- 
timate acquaintance.  Do  you  remember  that, 
one  night,  in  the  latter  part  of  June,  a  fellow 
about  my  age  walked  into  your  camp,  and  you 
and  your  cowardly  companions  robbed  him  of 
his  horse?" 

"  I  '11  allow  I  haint  forgot  it,"  replied  the 
outlaw. 

"Well,  that  fellow  was  my  cousin.  He  and 
I  were  on  our  way  to  California,  with  Dick 
Lewis  and  Bob  Kelly,  and  an  uncle,  who  looks 
about  as  much  like  you  as  you  look  like  a  white 
man.  You  Ve  got  the  wrong  buck  by  the  horn, 
if  you  take  me  for  Adam  Brent.  He  is  at  the 
fort,  and  among  friends,  where  he  is  safe.  I 
left  him  there  not  more  than  an  hour  ago/ 

"Now  jest  look  a-here,  Adam,"  said  Black 


ARCHIE  FIXDS  A   NEW  UNCLE.  81 

Bill;  "that  story  won't  go  down  —  not  by  no 
means.  If  I  had  n't  never  seed  you  afore,  it 
might  do  you  some  good  to  talk  to  me  in  that 
fashion ;  but  I  know  you  as  well  as  I  know 
any  of  my  mates  here.  I  've  got  you  now,  an' 
1  'm  goin'  to  hold  fast  to  you." 

"But  what  do  you  intend  to  do  with  me?" 
asked  Archie. 

"I'm  goin'  to  do  jest  what  I  told  your  fa- 
ther I  should  do  when  I  got  my  hands  on  you : 
I  'ra  goin'  to  make  you  jest  sich  a  man  as  I 
am." 

"You'll  have  a  good  time  of  it,  and  you 
can't  do  it.  It  is  my  intention  to  be  of  some 
use  in  the  world,  aiid  I  'd  like  to  see  you  or 
any  body  else  drag  me  down  as  low  as  you  are. 
But  I  tell  you  that  I  am  not  Adam  Brent,  and 
neither  am  I  any  relative  of  his." 

"Hold  your  hosses.  I  know  jest  what  I  am 
about,  an'  all  your  talkin'  an'  fussin'  won't  do 
you  no  'arthly  good  whatsomever;  so  you  might 
jest  as  well  shut  up.  I  'm  goin'  to  make  a  rene 
gade  of  you.  Arter  you  have  been  with  me  a 
few  years,  you  '11  larn  to  hate  white  folks  as 

bad  as  I  do,  an'  will  fight  'em  like  any  Injun, 
6 


82  FRANK  IN  THE   MOUNTAINS. 

I  told  your  father  that  I  would  make  him  &  )rry 
for  all  he's  done  agin  me,  an'  I'm  goin'  to  keep 
my  word.  Jack,  jest  tie  his  hands  behind  his 
back,  an'  then  we  '11  trot  along.  I  've  spent 
the  most  of  my  time,  durin'  the  last  ten  years, 
hangin'  around  this  yere  valley,  watchin'  fur  a 
chance  to  get  hold  of  you,"  continued  the  out- 
law, while  his  companion  was  confining  Archie's 
arms  with  a  thong  of  buckskin,  "  but  the  ole  man 
tuk  mighty  good  care  to  keep  you  out  of  my 
sight.  The  fust  time  I  sot  eyes  on  you,  since 
you  was  six  years  old,  was  to-day,  at  the  fort, 
when  them  fellers  run  that  race;  but  I  knowed 
you  in  a  minute.  I've  got  you  now,  an'  the 
next  time  your  father  sees  you,  you  will  be  like 
me — half  Injun  an'  half  trapper,  an'  an  enemy 
of  your  own  race." 

Archie  had  learned  something  during  this 
interview  with  the  outlaw,  and  now  thought 
he  could  understand  why  Mr.  Brent  had  been 
so  careful  never  to  allow  Adam  far  out  of  his 
eight.  In  years  gone  by — perhaps  when  they 
were  young  men  together — he  had  done  some- 
thing to  incur  the  displeasure  of  this  unnat- 
ural brother,  who  had  revived  to  b'e  revenged 


ARCHIE  FINDS  A  NE  WUNCLE.  83 

upon  him  by  dragging  his  son  down  as  low  as 
he  was  himself.  But  the  outlaw's  plans  were 
not  working  as  smoothly  as  he  imagined.  He 
had  made  a  mistake  in  the  boy ;  and  Adam,  of 
whom  he  had  been  trying  to  make  a  prisoner 
for  ten  years,  was  still  safe  under  the  protection 
of  his  father. 

"He  is  barking  up  the  wrong  tree,  if  he 
only  knew  it,"  said  Archie  to  himself;  "but  I 
do  n't  think  I  shall  trouble  myself  to  tell  him 
so  again.  The  way  he  eyed  me  the  last  time  I 
told  him  I  wasn't  Adam  Brent,  makes  me  think 
that  it  wouldn't  take  a  great  deal  to  induce 
him  to  use  his  bowie  on  me;  and  that  would 
be  disagreeable.  Never  mind;  I  am  not  afraid 
that  I  shall  long  remain  a  prisoner,  while  Dick 
and  Bob  are  alive." 

When  Archie's  arms  had  been  securely  bound, 
two  of  the  outlaws  started  down  the  ravine  in 
Indian  file,  and  the  others,  one  of  whom  was 
Black  Bill,  seized  their  captive  by  the  shoul- 
ders, and  assisted  him  over  logs  and  through 
the  bushes  in  a  way  that  would  have  called 
forth  from  him  a  stubborn  resistance,  if  his 
arms  had  been  free.  The  trappers  seemed  tc 


81  FRANK  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

be  ID  great  haste ;  and  whenever  Archie  stum- 
bled in  the  darkness  and  pitched  forward,  they 
did  not  stop,  but  hurried  on  as  fast  as  ever, 
leaving  him  to  regain  his  feet  if  he  could,  or 
be  dragged  along  the  ground  behind  them.  He 
wondered  if  this  was  a  fair  sample  of  the  treat- 
ment he  was  to  receive  as  long  as  he  remained 
in  the  hands  of  the  outlaws.  It  did  not  seem 
to  him  that  he  could  endure  it  long,  but  he 
did  endure  it  until  ten  miles  had  been  accom- 
plished, and  then,  to  his  intense  amazement 
and  alarm,  he  suddenly  found  himself  on  the 
outskirts  of  an  Indian  village.  His  captors 
kept  straight  ahead  with  him,  until  they  ar- 
rived at  the  council  ground,  and  there  they 
left  him  to  take  care  of  himself,  and  went  for- 
ward to  join  the  circle  of  chief*  ^ated  around 
the  fire. 


THE  MEDICINE-MAN.  85 


CHAPTER  VI. 

THE  MEDICINE-MAN. 

"  "I7OU   keerless   feller !     You  're  here   arter 

*-    all,  haint  you?" 

Archie  looked  up,  and  for  the  first  time  dis- 
covered that  he  had  a  companion  in  trouble. 
It  was  Dick  Lewis,  who  was  standing  bound 
to  a  post  by  a  band  of  hickory  bark,  which 
was  drawn  tight  about  his  breast  and  arms.  It 
is  hard  to  tell  which  was  the  more  astonished, 
the  trapper  or  Archie.  Numerous  questions 
were  asked  and  answered  on  both  sides,  and 
when  Archie  told  of  the  mistake  the  outlaws 
had  made,  and  how  he  came  to  be  taken  pris- 
oner, Dick  drew  a  long  breath  of  relief. 

"  I  '11  allow  that  it  makes  me  feel  a  heap 
easier  to  know  that  you  aint  in  no  danger  of 
bein'  massacreed,"  said  he.  "  This  is  a  leetle 
the  wust  scrape  I  ever  seed  you  in  yet ;  but  as 


86  FRANK  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

long  as  me  an'  old  Bob  are  alive,  you  won't 
want  fur  friends  to  help  you.  Do  you  see  that 
feller  standin'  over  thar?" 

Archie  looked  in  the  direction  in  which  the 
trapper  nodded  his  head,  and  was  almost  ready 
to  drop  with  astonishment  when  he  saw  his 
cousin  standing  beside  the  chief's  wigwam, 
bound  and  helpless  like  himself.  He  knew 
now  why  Frank  had  not  returned  to  the  valley. 

"How  came  he  here?"  asked  Archie. 

"  Go  over  thar  an'  talk  to  him,  an'  he  '11  tell 
you  all  about  it,"  replied  the  trapper.  "  I 
want-  plenty  of  elbow  room  around  here,  'cause 
when  I  get  ready  I  'm  goin'  to  leave,  an'  any 
thing  that  stands  in  my  way  will  most  likely 
get  hurt.  You'll  hear  something  break  purty 
soon,  an'  when  I  get  started,  jest  keep  your  eye 
on  me  if  you  want  to  see  runnin'  as  is  runnin'." 

Archie,  judging  from  this  that  Dick  did  not 
want  him  there,  walked  slowly  toward  the 
place  where  his  cousin  was  standing.  As  he 
passed  the  post  he  took  a  hasty  glance  at  his 
friend's  bonds,  and  wondered  how  he  intended 
to  escape  from  them.  If  he  could  break  that 
piece  of  bark,  he  must  be  possessed  of  the 


THE  MEDICINE-MAN.  87 

power  of  a  dozen  men,  for  it  was  strong  enough 
to  hold  an  ox-team.  But  then  Dick's  strength 
was  something  wonderful,  and  there  was  no 
knowing  what  he  might  do  in  an  emergency 
like  this. 

The  cousins  did  not  spend  much  time  in 
talking  over  their  adventures,  for  they  were 
too  deeply  interested  in  what  was  going  on 
around  them.  The  commotion  occasioned  by 
the  arrival  of  the  outlaws  had  subsided,  and 
the  chiefs  were  ready  to  proceed  with  their 
business.  The  aged  warrior  again  lighted  the 
pipe  of  peace,  which  was  passed  around  the 
circle,  each  chief  taking  two  or  three  puffs  and 
handing  it  to  his  neighbor.  The  most  profound 
silence  was  maintained  in  the  village  during 
this  ceremony,  which  occupied  several  minutes ; 
and  while  it  was  going  on,  the  attention  of  the 
boys  was  attracted  by  a  curious-looking  object 
which  suddenly  made  its  appearance  before 
them.  They  could  not  tell  what  it  was,  either 
by  its  size,  shape,  or  movements.  Sometimes 
it  went  on  all  fours,  and  then  it  looked  like  a 
bear  with  a  crane's  head ;  then  it  threw  itself 
flat  on  the  ground,  and  waddled  along  like  an 


88  FRANK  IN  THE  MOUN1AINS. 

alligator,  turning  its  queer  looking  head  and 
sharp  bill  about  as  if  seeking  something  to  de- 
vour; and  when  it  reached  the  edge  of  the 
council-ground,  it  took  the  form  of  a  ball,  and 
rolled  along,  as  swiftly  as  if  it  had  been  sent 
from  .a  boy's  bat,  until  it  reached  the  fire,  when 
it  stopped,  and  with  a  loud  yell  jumped  to  its 
feet  and  straightened  out.  Then  the  boys  saw 
that  it  was  an  Indian,  dressed  in  a  most  fan- 
tastic costume,  and  that  he  carried  a  tomahawk 
in  one  hand  and  a  knife  in  the  other. 

"  Oh,  it 's  the  medicine-man,"  said  Frank. 

"  Well,  he 's  a  delightful  looking  fellow," 
observed  Archie.  "  How  would  you  like  to 
have  him  prowling  about  your  bed  if  you  were 
sick  ?  What  is  he  going  to  do,  I  wonder  ?  " 

The  boys  were  not  kept  long  in  doubt  on 
this  point,  for  the  medicine-man  had  evidently 
come  there  on  business  of  his  own,  and  was 
not  disposed  to  waste  any  time.  He  first  began 
tramping  in  a  circle  about  the  place  where  the 
chiefs  were  sitting,  and  then  the  cousins  saw 
that  he  carried  the  burden  of  many  years  on 
his  shoulders,  for  he  walked  with  tottering 
steps,  and  form  half  bent.  But  he  seemed  to 


THE  MEDICINE  MAN  AND  DICK  LEWIS.    CHAP,  vi,  PAGE  89. 


THE  MEDICINE-MAN.  89 

have  plenty  of  energy  left  in  his  old  body,  for 
he  stamped  the  ground  furiously  as  he  moved 
alcng,  causing  the  rattle-"  which  he  wore  around 
his  legs  to  ring  out  musically,  and  expended  a 
good  deal  of  strength  in  flourishing  his  knife 
and  tomahawk.  Wondering  eyes  followed  all 
his  movements,  broad-shouldered  warriors 
stepped  respectfully  aside  to  let  him  pass,  but 
he  did  not  appear  to  notice  any  thing  or  any 
body.  He  moved  with  his  eyes  fastened  upon 
the  ground,  and  all  the  while  singing  a  low, 
monotonous  song.  He  made  the  circuit  of  the 
council-ground  at  least  twenty  times,  without 
once  looking  up  or  changing  his  attitude,  and 
the  boys  began  to  wonder  what  object  he  could 
have  in  view  in  tramping  about  that  way ; 
when  suddenly,  as  he  was  passing  the  trapper, 
he  raised  his  hatchet,  and  with  one  swift  blow 
buried  its  bright  blade  in  the  post,  almost  to 
the  handle  and  within  an  inch  of  Dick's  head, 
and  left  it  there,  while  he  continued  on  hia 
walk  around  the  council-ground. 

An  exclamation  of  horror  burst  from  both 
the  boys  as  they  witnessed  this  act  of  the  medi- 
cine-man. They  thought,  when  they  saw  the 


90  FRANK  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

tomahawk  descending,  that  they  had  seen  the 
trapper  alive  for  the  last  time;  but  he  waa 
still  erect  and  unharmed,  although  the  toma- 
hawk had  passed  so  close  to  his  head  that  a 
lock  of  his  hair  was  buried  with  it  in  the 
post.  A  less  practiced  hand  than  the  medicine- 
man's would  have  driven  the  weapon  into 
Dick's  brain. 

"Oh,  don't  I  wish  I  was  free,  and  had  my 
breech-loader  in  my  hands!"  exclaimed  Archie, 
who  was  so  nearly  beside  himself  with  rage  and 
alarm  that  he  could  scarcely  speak  plainly. 
"There  would  be  one  doctor  less  in  this  tribe. 
I'd  up-end  that  .old  rascal  so  quick  that  he 
would  n't  know  what  hurt  him." 

Frank  did  not  say  any  thing,  but  his  com- 
pressed lips  and  flashing  eyes  spoke  volumes. 

This  little  by-play  on  the  part  of  the  medi- 
cine-man caused  infinite  delight  among  the 
Indians  on  the  other  side  of  the  council-ground, 
who  now  began  to  watch  his  movements  more 
closely  than  ever.  And  it  was  but  a  begin- 
ning. The  next  time  he  came  around  he  thrust 
his  knife  into  the  post,  just  above  the  trapper's 
Moulder,  pulled  out  the  tomahawk,  and  went 


THE  MEDICINE-MAN.  91 

on.  The  third  time  he  struck  the  tomahawk 
into  the  post  again,  if  possible  a  little  closer  to 
the  prisoner's  head  than  before,  and  pulled  out 
the  knife.  And  so  he  kept  on,  threatening 
the  trapper  first  with  one  weapon,  and  then 
with  the  other,  to  the  great  amusement  of  the 
Indians,  and  the  intense  horror  and  indigna- 
tion of  the  boys,  who,  unable  to  endure  the 
sight,  turned  away  their  heads,  and  wished  for 
their  rifles.  During  all  this  time  Dick  never 
once  flinched  so  much  as  a  hair's  breadth.  He 
did  not  appear  to  notice  the  medicine-man  at 
all;  but  kept  his  eyes  fastened  upon  the  chiefs. 
If  the  Indians  had  never  seen  a  brave  trapper 
before,  they  saw  one  now. 

While  this  was  going  on  on  the  outer  edge 
of  the  council-ground,  the  chiefs  were  busy  de- 
ciding upon  the  fate  of  the  prisoner.  First 
one  made  a  speech,  and  then  another,  and  an- 
other, until  all  had  spoken,  and  half  an  hour 
had  been  taken  up  with  the  deliberations. 
Then  a  war-club  was  produced,  and  after  that 
the  Indians  did  not  pay  the  least  attention  to 
the  ruedicine-man.  They  were  waiting  to  hear 
the  decision  of  the  council.  The  principal 


92  FRANK  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

chief  took  the  war-club,  and  after  striking  it 
upon  the  ground  in  front  of  him,  handed  it  to 
the  next  warrior ;  and  so  the  club  went  around 
the  circle,  some  striking  the  ground  with  it, 
and  others  passing  it  along  in  silence.  The 
boys  knew  that  a  vote  was  being  taken  upon 
some  question,  but  what  it  was,  or  how  the 
votes  counted,  they  had  not  the  least  idea. 
They  soon  found  out,  however,  for  when  the 
war-club  had  come  around  to  the  principal 
chief  again,  he  jumped  to  his  feet,  and  began 
shouting  some  orders  in  a  loud  voice ;  and  in 
an  instant  the  camp  was  in  great  commotion. 
The  warriors  ran  about  in  all  directions,  and 
deafening  whoops  and  yells  arose  on  every  side. 
Some  hurried  into  the  woods,  and  presently 
returned  with  their  arms  filled  with  dry  wood 
and  branches,  which  they  deposited  in  piles  at 
intervals  along  the  ravine,  below  the  camp, 
others  lighted  them  with  brands  from  the  fire, 
which  was  burning  on  the  council-ground,  and 
in  a  few  minutes  every  object  in  the  lower  end 
of  the  village  was  as  plainly  visible  as  if  it 
had  been  broad  daylight.  This  done,  the  war- 
riors seized  knives,  tomahawks,  switches  clubs. 


THE  MEDICINE-MAN.  93 

or  whatever  else  came  first  to  their  hands,  and 
arranged  themselves  in  two  parallel  lines  about 
six  or  eight  feet  apart,  and  extending  up  and 
down  the  ravine.  Then  the  boys  began  to 
understand  the  matter.  The  trapper  was  to 
run  the  gauntlet. 

"  Oh,  why  does  n't  he  wake  up  and  do  some- 
thing?" cried  Archie,  in  great  excitement. 
"  He  told  me  that  I  would  hear  something 
break  pretty  soon,  and  if  he  is  going  to  escape 
at  all,  he  had  better  be  about  it.  In  a  few 
minutes  it  will  be  too  late." 

"  Look  at  the  club  that  first  Indian  carries 
on  his  shoulder,"  said  Frank.  "  One  blow 
with  that  would  kill  an  iron  man.  If  Dick 
once  gets  between  those  lines,  he  will  never 
come  out  alive." 

"  And  even  if  he  does  he  can't  get  away,  for 
there  are  a  dozen  warriors  standing  at  the 
lower  end  of  the  ravine  waiting  to  catch  him. 
1  wish  we  had  stayed  in  California." 

The  boys  turned  to  look  at  the  trapper.  Was 
he  destitute  of  nerves  entirely,  that  he  could 
stand  there  and  view  all  these  preparations 
so  calmly  ?  An  ordinary  man  would  have  been 


94  FRANK   IN   THE   MOUNTAINS. 

overcome  with  fear;  but  Dick  was  as  indiffer- 
ent as  ever. 

"  It'  he  could  mly  contrive  some  way  to 
break  that  bark  now,  he  would  be  all  right," 
said  Frank.  "Those  two  guards  couldn't 
stop  him,  and  the  other  warriors  are  all  at  the 
lower  end  of  the  village.  That  old  medicine- 
man is  getting  ready  to  begin  his  operations 
again." 

"  He  's  going  to  throw  his  hatchet  at  Dick," 
gasped  Archie. 

The  medicine-man  was  standing  about  twenty 
feet  in  front  of  the  trapper,  swinging  his  toma- 
hawk around  his  head,  and  yelling  at  the  top  of 
his  lungs.  Even  as  Archie  spoke,  the  weapon 
left  his  hand,  and  flew  through  the  air  with  the 
speed  of  a  bullet.  Both  boys  turned  away  their 
heads  and  held  their  breath  in  suspense.  They 
heard  the  tomahawk  strike  the  post,  and,  when 
they  turned  to  look  at  the  trapper  again,  tjiey 
were  not  a  little  astonished  at  the  scene  pre- 
sented to  their  gaze.  The  medicine-man  was 
rolling  about  on  the  ground  in  violent  contor- 
tions, like  some  huge  reptile  which  had  just 
received  its  death-blow ;  the  two  warriors  who 


THE  MEDICINE-MAN  95 

had  been  guarding  Dick  lay  motionless  beside 
him;  the  piece  of  bark  with  which  the  trapper 
had  been  confined  hung  down  beside  the  post, 
having  been  cut  by  the  keen  edge  of  the  toma- 
hawk ;  and  something,  which  moved  so  rapidly 
that  it  looked  like  a  flash  of  light,  dodged  in 
and  out  among  the  lodges  for  an  instant,  and 
then  disappeared  from  view.  The  medicine- 
man had  thrown  his  tomahawk  a  little  too 
close  to  the  mark  that  time,  for  the  weapon 
had  cut  the  trapper's  bonds  and  set  him  at 
liberty. 

For  a  few  seconds  the  village  was  as  silent 
as  though  it  had  been  deserted.  The  warriors 
stood  transfixed,  holding  their  weapons  in  their 
nands,  and  gazing  at  the  empty  post  where 
their  captive  had  stood  but  a  moment  before  ; 
(hen  yells  of  rage  arose  on  the  air,  and  the 
warriors  swept  through  the  village  in  a  body 
in  hot  pursuit  of  the  trapper.  The  cousins 
could  not  speak.  Dick's  escape  had  been  ac- 
complished so  suddenly  and  unexpectedly  that 
it  bewildered  them.  They  looked  at  one  an- 
other in  silence,  gazed  after  the  yelling  Indi- 
ans, who  were  flying  through  the  valley  in  all 


96  FRANK  IN   THE  MOUNTAINS. 

directions,  and,  when  at  last  they  recovered  th« 
use  of  their  tongues,  the  shouts  of  delight  that 
broke  from  them  would  have  done  credit  to 
any  two  savages  in  the  band. 

"Wasn't  that  well  done?"  cried  Archie, 
dancing  about  like  one  demented.  "The  min- 
ute that  bark  was  cut,  he  was  off  like  a  flash 
of  lightning.  Would  n't  I  give  something  if 
I  could  run  like  that  ?  They  '11  never  catch 
him,  for  they  are  all  behind  him,  and  Dick 
says  he  never  saw  the  Indian,  or  white  man 
either,  that  could  overtake  him,  if  he  has  two 
feet  the  start.  He  had  at  least  twenty  yards 
the  start,  this  time ;  so,  of  course,  he  '11  escape 
easily  enough." 

"I  feel  better,"  said  Frank — "not  only  on 
Dick's  account,  but  also  on  our  own ;  we  stand 
a  chance  of  being  rescued  now.  Well,  what 
do  you  want?" 

This  question  was  addressed  to  a  couple  of 
warriors  who  at  that  moment  approached  them. 
The  savages  did  not  take  the  trouble  to  reply, 
but  grasped  the  boys  by  the  shoulders,  and 
conducting  them  around  the  chief's  wigwam, 
beside  which  they  had  been  standing  all  this 


THE  MEDICINE-MAN.  97 

,  raised  the  door  and  pushed  them  under 
it. 

"Here  \ve  are,"  said  Frank,  "and  here  we 
are  likely  to  remain  for  awhile." 

"  But  I  do  n't  propose  to  pass  the  night  with 
my  hands  bound  behind  me,  if  I  can  help  it," 
said  Archie.  "Don't  you  believe  you  can  un- 
tie them  with  your  teeth,  Frank  ?  You  know 
that  was  the  way  Johnny  Harris  untied  the 
lasso  with  which  I  was  bound,  on  the  night  we 
made  our  escape  from  Pierre  and  his  band." 

Frank  proceeded  at  once  to  act  upon  his 
cousin's  suggestion,  and,  although  he  found 
that  a  thong  of  buckskin  was  rather  a  difficult 
thing  to  manage  with  his  teeth,  he  finally  suc- 
ceeded in  freeing  Archie's  hands.  Then,  after 
the  latter  had  liberated  him,  the  cousins  threw 
themselves  upon  the  buffalo  robes  to  talk  over 
their  adventures ;  but  they  were  not  allowed 
to  remain  long  to  themselves,  for,  while  Frank 
was  describing  the  manner  in  which  he  had 
effected  his  escape  from  the  village,  the  door 
of  the  lodge  was  raised,  and  Black  Bill's  vil- 
lainous face  appeared  at  the  opening. 

"Adam,  are  you  thar?"  he  inquired. 
7 


98  FRANK  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

"No,  Adam  isn't  here,"  replied  Archie, 
"The  last  time  I  saw  him,  he  was  at  the  fort. 
Winters  is  here,  if  you  have  any  thing  of  im- 
portance to  say  to  him." 

"Wai,  I  have.     Come  out  here," 

"What  do  you  want  with  me?" 

"  I  am  goin'  to  take  you  to  my  lodge,  where 
I  know  you  will  be  safe." 

"Black  Bill,"  said  Frank,  "you  have  cer- 
tainly made  a  mistake ;  this  fellow  is  n't  Adam 
Brent." 

"Who  axed  you  fur  any  advice?"  was  the 
gruff  rejoinder.  "Jest  mind  your  own  busi- 
ness, an'  speak  when  you  're  spoke  to." 

The  tone  of  the  man's  voice  indicated  that 
he  was  in  very  bad  humor,  and  Frank,  know- 
ing that  it  would  not  be  safe  to  irritate  him, 
held  his  peace ;  and  so  did  Archie,  who  offered 
no  resistance  when  the  outlaw  seized  him  by 
the  collar  and  pushed  him  roughly  out  of  the 
lodge. 

Frank's  first  care,  on  being  left  alone,  wag 
to  examine  into  his  chances  for  escape.  That 
was  quickly  done,  and  the  conclusion  he  came 
to  was  that  it  would  be  quite  useless  to  attempt 


THE  MEDICINE-MAN.  99 

any  thing  of  the  kind.  He  was  guarded  by 
two  sentries  now — one  standing  at  the  back 
of  the  lodge,  and  the  other  at  the  door.  He 
could  not  elude  them  both,  and,  with  his  usual 
happy  faculty  for  accommodating  himself  to 
circumstances,  Frank  decided  that  there  was 
no  use  in  keeping  awake  all  night  if  he  was 
a  prisoner;  and,  stretching  himself  out  on  the 
buffalo  robes,  he  prepared  to  go  to  sleep.  And 
he  did  sleep,  in  spite  of  all  the  dangers  and 
excitements  of  the  day,  but  not  long.  He 
was  awakened  by  a  rustling  in  the  lodge,  and 
started  up  in  alarm  when  he  saw  a  frightful- 
looking  object,  which  he  recognized  as  the 
medicine-man,  crouching  at  his  side.  Frank's 
first  thought  was  that  he  had  come  in  there  to 
torment  him  as  he  had  tormented  the  trapper; 
and  his  second,  that  he  should  not  do  it.  He 
waF  not  bound,  and  he  would  not  submit  to 
any  such  treatment. 

'"  Look  here,  old  fellow,"  said  he,  shaking 
iiis  fist  at  the  medicine-man  :  "  I  do  n't  know 
u  hether  or  not  you  can  understand  English ; 
but,  if  you  can,  you  had  better  pay  attention 
to  what  I  say  :  If  you  go  to  flourishing  that 


100  FRANK  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

tomahawk  aiid  kuife  about  me,  I  '11  break  your 
head." 

"Hist!"  whispered  the  intruder,  holding  up 
his  finger,  warningly. 

Frank  was  astonished.  He  gazed  earnestly 
at  the  medicine-man,  who  began  singing  his 
low,  monotonous  song,  at  the  same  time  fum- 
bling with  his  odd-looking  mask,  which  he  soon 
removed,  revealing  to  Frank's  view  the  honest 
countenance  of  old  Bob  Kelly.  Checking  the 
boy's  exclamation  of  astonishment  by  an  em- 
phatic motion  of  his  hand,  the  trapper,  still 
humming  hirf  song,  proceeded  to  divest  him- 
self of  the  other  articles  of  his  disguise;  and, 
as  fast  as  he  removed  them  from  his  own  per- 
son, he  put  them  upon  Frank,  who  submitted 
wonderingly  to  the  operation.  In  a  few  min- 
utes he  was  rigged  out  in  the  medicine-man's 
dress;  and,  if  he  had  only  known  it,  he  looked 
hideous  enough  to  frighten  any  body. 

"Now,  then,"  said  old  Bob,  in  a  scarcely- 
audible  whisper,  "be  oif  with  you.  Creep 
under  them  skins,  an'  make  yourself  skeerce 
about  here,  sudden.  Thar  aint  no  danger,  if 
vou  '11  only  think  so.  You  're  a  medicine-man 


THE  MEDICINE-MAN.  101 

now,  an'  you  can  go  all  over  the  village  an* 
into  every  lodge,  an'  nobody  won't  say  a  word 
to  you.  I'll  take  care  of  myself." 

The  old  trapper  spoke  these  words  hurried- 
ly, and,  pulling  Frank  off  the  buffalo  robes, 
stretched  himself  upon  them.  Frank  would 
have  lingered  to  ask  some  instructions  con- 
cerning the  manner  in  which  he  ought  to  con- 
duct himself,  and  what  he  ought  to  do  if  the 
guard  allowed  him  to  pass  out  of  the  lodge, 
but  Bob  motioned  him  impatiently  to  be  off. 
Calling  all  his  courage  to  his  aid,  he  lifted 
the  skins  at  the  back  of  the  lodge  and  crawled 
out.  The  guard  looked  down  at  him,  and  then 
turned  away  his  head  as  if  he  did  not  care  to 
see  him;  and  Frank,  throwing  himself  upon 
his  hands  and  knees,  and  imitating  as  nearly 
as  possible  the  actions  of  the  medicine-man, 
hurried  off  into  the  darkness. 


102  FRANK  TN  THE  MOUNTAINS. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

IN  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

"  \T7ELL,  this  beats  me  completely.  That 
old  medicine-man  that  Archie  and  I 
wanted  to  shoot  so  badly  was  Bob  Kelly ;  and, 
of  course,  he  did  not  make  a  mistake  when 
he  cut  that  bark  with  his  tomahawk — he  did 
it  on  purpose.  Did  n't  he  play  his  part  well  ? 
The  old  fellow  must  have  a  steady  hand  to 
sen'd  those  weapons  so  close  to  Dick  without 
hitting  him.  Where  did  he  get  this  disguise, 
I  wonder ;  and  how  is  he  going  to  escape  from 
that  lodge?  This  night's  work  is  a  little  ahead 
jf  any  thing  I  ever  heard  of." 

Frank  was  sitting  on  the  ground  in  a  thicket 
of  bushes  on  the  outskirts  of  the  village,  where 
he  had  concealed  himself,  to  obtain  a  few  min- 
utes' rest,  and  to  decide  what  he  should  do 
next.  He  had  passed  through  the  camp  in 


IN   THE   MOUNTAINS.  103 

safety,  and  without  attracting  especial  attention 
from  any  of  the  Indians.  He  had  met  several 
warriors  on  his  way,  but  his  disguise  was  com 
plete,  and  they,  supposing  him  to  be  the  med- 
icine-man, stepped  aside  to  let  him  pass,  and 
did  not  trouble  themselves  to  take  a  second 
look  at  him.  He  had  been  emboldened  by  hia 
success  thus  far,  and  a  daring  project  had  en- 
tered his  head.  It  was  to  go  back  to  the  vil- 
lage, and  find  and  liberate  Archie. 

There  were  a  good  many  dangers  and  diffi- 
culties to  be  overcome  in  carrying  out  this 
plan.  The  outlaw  had  said  that  it  was  his  in- 
tention to*  take  Archie  to  his  lodge,  where  he 
knew  he  would  be  safe;  but  Frank  did  not 
know  where  that  lodge  was.  And  suppose,  if 
he  succeeded  in  finding  it,  that  Black  Bill  and 
his  companions  should  be  there  guarding  their 
prisoner  !  What  would  they  do  to  him  if  they 
caught  him  prowling  around  ?  Frank  did  not 
care  to  enrage  them,  for  he  knew  what  manner 
of  men  they  were ;  but  still  he  was  determined 
that  he  would  not  leave  his  cousin  to  his  fate 
without  making  at  least  an  attempt  to  save 
him.  The  village  was  nearly  deserted,  except 


104  FRANK   IN  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

by  the  women  and  children,  and  he  could 
scarcely  encounter  more  danger  there  ttan  he 
would  in  attempting  to  find  his  way  to  the 
valley.  The  mountains  were  filled  with  In- 
dians, who  were  searching  for  the  trapper,  and 
he  could  not  hope  to  avoid  meeting  some  of 
them.  His  disguise  would  protect  him  as  long 
as  he  remained  near  the  village,  but  would  n't 
the  warriors  suspect  something  if  they  found 
him  making  his  way  toward  the  fort? 

"  I  '11  be  in  danger,  no  matter  what  I  do," 
said  Frank,  to  himself;  "and  I  am  going  to 
try  to  find  Archie.  If  he  is  n't  liberated  I 
would  just  as  soon  be  recaptured  as  not,  for 
I  could  never  live  without  him.  How  would 
I  feel  to  go  back  to  our  hunting  and  fishing 
grounds  about  Lawrence,  and  know  that  he 
was  kept  a  prisoner  among  these  savages?  I 
won't  do  it.  If  he  must  stay  here,  I  shall  stay 
with  him." 

So  saying,  Frank  crawled  out  of  the  bushes, 
and  started  back  toward  the  village.  Not 
knowing  how  many  eyes  there  might  be  watch- 
ing him,  he  tried  to  imitate  the  medicine-man's 
movements — walking  with  his  form  half  bent, 


IN  THE   MOUNTAINS. 

and  assuming  a  feeble,  tottering  step  which  he 
was  sure  would  pass  in  the  darkness  for  that 
of  a  very  old  man.  He  reached  the  village  at 
last — passing  the  chief's  wigwam  on  the  way, 
where  the  guards  stood  in  blissful  ignorance 
of  the  fact  that  the  captive  they  had  been  set 
to  watch  had  crawled  out  of  his  prison  under 
their  very  noses — and  began  looking  about  foi 
the  outlaw's  lodge.  How  should  he  know  it 
when  he  saw  it?  was  a  question  he  had  asked 
himself  over  and  over  again.  There  was 
plainly  but  one  way  to  proceed,  and  that  was 
to  visit  every  wigwam  in  the  village  until  he 
found  the  one  of  which  he  was  in  search.  This 
was  something  that  more  than  one  old  trapper 
would  have  shrunk  from  undertaking  ;  but,  re- 
lying entirely  upon  his  disguise,  and  remem- 
bering what  Bob  had  told  him — that  he  might 
go  all  over  the  village  and  into  every  lodge 
without  being  questioned — Frank  resolved  to 
attempt  it.  If  he  were  captured  it  would  b<* 
nothing  more  than  what  would  most  likely  be 
fall  him  if  he  tried  to  reach  the  fort;  and  he 
had  the  satisfaction  of  knowing  that  the  In- 
dians would  not  harm  him. 


106  PRANK   IN  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

The  first  lodge  that  Frank  looked  into  was 
empty.  The  door  had  been  thrown  back,  and 
by  the  flickering  light  of  a  fire  which  was 
burning  in  the  center  of  the  lodge,  he  was  able 
to  take  a  good  survey  of  its  interior.  There 
were  the  skins  on  which  the  warriors  had  been 
sleeping  when  they  were  aroused  by  the  chief's 
"death-whoop,"  but  no  one  was  in  sight.  An 
Indian  woman  came  in  just  as  he  completed 
his  investigations,  but  did  not  appear  to  notice 
him,  and  he  hurried  off  to  visit  the  next  lodge. 
Just  as  he  was  about  to  place  his  hand  upon 
the  door,  it  was  raised  by  some  one  on  the  in- 
side, and  Frank's  heart  fairly  came  up  into  his 
mouth  when  one  of  the  outlaws  stepped  out. 
He  looked  savagely  at  the  boy  for  a  moment, 
and  then  shouldered  his  rifle  and  walked  away ; 
and  presently  Frank  saw  him  mounted  on  his 
horse,  and  galloping  toward  the  ravine. 

"This  is  the  place,"  said  our  hero,  to  him- 
self. "Archie  is  in  here;  but  now  that  I  have 
found  him,  how  am  I  going  to  get  him  out? 
That's  a  difficulty  I  did  not  think  of  before." 

With  a  trembling  hand  Frank  raised  the 
door  and  peered  under  it,  half  expecting  that 


IN  THE  MOUNTAINS.  107 

Black  Bill  or  some  of  his  companiDns  would 
jump  out  and  make  a  prisoner  of  him ;  but 
there  was  no  one  in  the  lodge — no  one  except 
Archie,  who  lay  in  one  corner,  bound  hand  and 
foot.  But  if  his  body  was  confined,  his  tongue 
was  free,  and  his  spirit  as  undaunted  as  ever. 

"  You  here ! "  he  exclaimed,  when  he  saw 
his  cousin  approaching  him.  "  Clear  out ;  I  've 
seen  enough  of  you  for  one  night.  If  I  could 
use  my  hands  for  about  a  minute,  I  would  pay 
you  for  what  you  did  to  Dick  Lewis.  Keep 
away  from  me." 

"  Silence  !  "  whispered  Frank,  as  he  kneeled 
down  beside  his  cousin,  and  began  untying  his 
hands.  "  Do  n't  say  a  word." 

Archie  was  as  surprised  now  as  Frank  had 
been  when  old  Bob  appeared  to  him  in  the 
chief's  wigwam.  He  recognized  the  voice  that 
addressed  him,  but  he  could  hardly  bring  him- 
self to  believe  that  the  hideous-looking  object 
bending  over  him  was  Frank  Nelson.  He 
would  have  asked  a  hundred  questions  had  not 
tte  latter  interrupted  him. 

"  \Ve  Ve  no  time  to  talk,"  he  whispered,  hur- 
riedly, as  he  assisted  his  cousin  to  his  feet, 


108  FRANK   IN  THE   MOUNTAINS. 

"  I  will  explain  every  thing  when  we  are  out 
of  clanger.  Now,  then,  you  can  never  go 
through  the  village  in  that  dress." 

"I  am  afraid  I  can't  go  through  it  at  all/; 
replied  Archie. 

"  Yes,  you  can.  I  do  n't  believe  there  is  a 
single  warrior  in  the  camp  now,  except  the  two 
who  are  guarding  the  chief's  wigwam.  They 
are  all  out  looking  for  Dick.  We  have  little 
to  fear  from  the  women  and  children,  for  they 
could  n't  stop  us  if  they  tried.  Is  there  any 
clothing  in  here?" 

"  I  believe  there  is  a  hunting-shirt  and  cap 
in  that  corner." 

"  Well,  get  into  them  as  quickly  as  possible, 
and  I  will  go  out  and  see  if  the  coast  is  clear." 

Frank,  knowing  that  a  medicine-man  was 
expected  to  do  things  different  from  any  body 
else,  did  not  go  out  at  the  door,  but  crawled 
under  the  skins  at  the  back  of  the  lodge.  It 
was  well  for  him  that  he  did  so ;  for  scarcely 
had  he  left  Archie,  when  the  door  was  raised 
and  Black  Bill  came  in,  and  was  astonished  to 
see  his  prisoner,  whom  he  had  left  securely 
bound,  standing  in  the  middle  of  the  lodge 


IN  THE  MOUNTAINS.  109 

arraying  himself  in  a  hunting-shirt  which  he 
(the  outlaw)  had  thrown  off  a  little  while 
before. 

"Hallo!"  he  exclaimed,  "what's  all  this 
yere?  Ah  ha!  You  were  trying  to  escape, 
wore  you?  Who  turned  you  loose?" 

Archie,  seeing  that  his  cousin's  plans  for  lib- 
erating him  had  been  nipped  in  the  bud,  put 
on  a  bold  face,  and  made  the  best  of  the  situ- 
ation. He  took  all  the  blame  upon  himself. 
He  knew  that  if  he  told  the  outlaw  that  he 
had  had  assistance,  he  would,  of  course,  in- 
vestigate the  matter;  and  if  he  found  Frank 
in  the  vicinity  of  the  lodge,  it  might  arouse 
his  suspicions  to  such  a  degree  that  he  would 
examine  his  disguise;  and  that  would  be  very 
disagreeable  for  Frank. 

"  I  have  a  way  of  turning  myself  loose 
whenever  I  feel  like  it,"  replied  Archie. 
"  Why  did  n't  you  stay  away  about  five  min- 
utes longer?  You  can't  keep  me  a  prisoner." 

"  Can't ! "  exclaimed  the  outlaw.  "  Wai, 
1  '11  see  about  that.  I  knowed  you  were  a 
slippery  customer — all  the  Brents  are — an'  I 
kindoi  thought  it  would  be  a  good  plan  fur  me 


110  FRANK  IN  THE   MOUNTAINS. 

to  come  back  here  an'  keep  an  eye  on  you,  aa* 
leave  the  others  to  hunt  up  Dick  Lewis.  It 
Bcems  I  got  here  jest  in  time.  Now,  crawl  oiu 
of  that  huntin'  shirt,  an'  I  '11  tie  you  up  so 
tight  that  you  won't  get  loose  agin  in  a  hurry." 
Frank,  who  was  lying  flat  on  the  ground  at 
the  back  of  the  lodge,  listened  with  a  heavy 
heart  to  this  conversation.  His  plans  had 
failed,  and  it  was  useless  to  think  of  attempt- 
ing to  liberate  his  cousin  again,  for  the  outlaw 
had  said  that  it  was  his  intention  to  remain  in 
the  lodge  and  watch  him.  There  was  but  one 
thing  he  could  do  now,  and  that  was  to  look 
out  for  himself.  His  first  hard  work  must  be 
to  find  Dick  Lewis;  he  would  know  just  what 
ought  to  be  done.  Having  come  to  this  de- 
termination, Frank  crawled  slowly  and  cau- 
tiously away  from  the  lodge,  and  finally,  rising 
to  his  feet,  hurried  through  the  village;  and 
having  satisfied  himself  that  there  was  no  one 
observing  his  movements,  he  plunged  into  the 
willows  that  fringed  the  base  of  the  mountains. 
It  was  not  his  intention  to  travel  directly  to- 
ward the  fort,  but  to  attempt  to  reach  it  by 
uorae  roundabout  way,  and  thus  avoid  meeting 


IN  THE  MOUNTAINS.  HI 

the  Indians  who  were  in  pursuit  of  the  trap« 
per.  He  had  something  of  an  undertaking  be- 
fore him  now,  for  he  was  in  a  strange  countiy, 
and  had  not  the  least  idea  in  which  direction 
he  ought  to  go  to  find  his  friends.  "When  he 
reached  the  mountains  he  was  as  effectually 
lost  as  he  had  been  on  the  day  that  he  and 
Archie  killed  their  first  antelope ;  but  trusting 
every  thing  to  luck,  he  made  his  way  through 
the  thick  woods  as  rapidly  as  the  darkness 
would  permit,  and  after  stumbling  about  among 
logs  and  rocks  until  he  was  almost  exhausted, 
he  removed  his  mask,  which,  on  account  of  the 
long  bill  attached  to  it  had  considerably  impeded 
his  progress  through  the  bushes,  and  sat  down 
to  wait  until  daylight. 

His  thoughts  and  feelings  were  what  any 
other  boy's  would  have  been  under  the  same 
circumstances.  His  courage  had  been  tested 
more  than  once  during  the  few  months  he  had 
passed  in  the  Far  West,  and  he  had  never  yet 
shown  himself  to  be  a  coward  ;  on  the  contrary, 
his  attempt  to  resue  Archie  had  proved  that  in 
an  emergency  he  could  be  as  daring  and  reck- 
less as  Di^k  Lewis  himself.  He  could  ke«p 


112  FRANK  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

up  his  courage,  and  show  a  bold  front  while  in 
the  presence  of  his  enemies,  but  to  be  alone  in 
the  mountains,  with  no  weapon  but  his  pocket- 
knife  with  which  to  defend  himself,  and  noth- 
ing to  occupy  his  mind,  or  draw  his  thoughts 
from  the  dangers  yet  to  be  encountered — this 
it  was  that  tried  his  nerves ;  and  his  face  was 
whiter,  and  he  was  more  nearly  overcome  with 
fear  now,  than  at  any  time  during  the  day. 
His  situation  was  scarcely  more  encouraging 
than  when  he  was  a  prisoner.  How  could  he 
hope  to  find  the  valley  when  he  did  not  know 
where  to  look  for  it ;  and  what  if  he  did  suc- 
ceed in  reaching  it,  and  should  find  the  fort  in 
ashes,  and  the  soldiers  and  trappers  all  massa- 
cred? What  would  become  of  him  ?  He  might 
starve  to  death,  or  be  devoured  by  the  grizzlies 
there  in  the  mountains,  and  no  one  would  ever 
know  what  had  become  of  him. 

"  But  I  am  not  starved  yet,"  said  Frank, 
when  he  had  reached  this  point  in  his  medita- 
tions, "and  thus  far  I  haven't  seen  any  wild 
animals  to  be  afraid  of.  As  long  as  I  can  lift 
a  finger,  I  shall  live  in  hopes  of  getting  safely 
out  of  this  scrape.  Now,  I  am  going  to  sleep. 


TN  THE  MOUNTAINS.  113 

There  is  no  knowing  what  is  in  store  for  me, 
and  I  may  have  need  of  all  my  strength  before 
I  see  the  sun  set  again." 

Frank  stretched  himself  upon  the  ground, 
with  the  medicine-man's  mask  under  his  head 
for  a  pillow,  and  soon  forgot  the  Indians,  griz- 
zlies, and  all  the  other  perils  with  which  he 
was  surrounded,  in  a  sound  sleep.  When  he 
awoke  it  was  broad  daylight.  He  had  had  one 
visitor  during  the  night,  and  that  was  a  large 
gray  wolf,  which  sat  on  his  haunches  at  a  little 
distance  regarding  Frank  intently,  and  which 
took  to  his  heels  and  quickly  disappeared  when 
the  boy  raised  himself  on  his  elbow. 

"  I  do  n't  think  I  should  have  slept  so 
soundly  if  I  had  known  that  I  had  such  a 
neighbor  as  that,"  thought  Frank.  "  But  after 
all,  I  wish  I  was  sure  that  I  had  nothing  worse 
than  wolves  to  fear,  although  they  did  frighten 
Die  considerably  when  we  had  that  race  on  the 
ice  with  them  last  winter.  Now,  if  I  only  had 
a  cup  of  Dick's  coffee,  and  a  venison-steak,  I 
should  be  ready  for  work ;  but  I  do  n't  see 
much  chance  to  get  any  thing  to  eat  up  here." 
picked  up  his  mask,  looked  at  the 
8 


114  FRANK  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

sun,  and  struck  off  through  the  woods  in  the 
direction  he  supposed  the  fort  to  be.  He  had 
not  made  many  steps  before  he  found  himself 
on  the  brink  of  a  narrow  gorge,  which  extended 
up  and  down  the  mountain.  Its  sides  were 
thickly  covered  with  bushes  and  rocks,  and  it 
was  so  deep  that  the  roar  of  the  mountain-tor- 
rent which  ran  through  it  came  but  faintly  to 
his  ears.  Was  it  not  fortunate  for  him  that 
he  had  camped  before  reaching  the  gully?  He 
might  have  fallen  into  it  in  the  darkness,  and 
that  would  have  been  infinitely  worse  than  re- 
maining a  prisoner  among  the  Indians.  He 
wondered  if  he  could  jump  it,  but  concluded 
that  he  would  not  make  the  attempt,  when  he 
discovered,  a  short  distance  from  him,  a  small 
tree  lying  across  the  gorge.  Upon  examining 
it  closely,  however,  he  found  that  it  would 
prove  rather  a  perilous  undertaking  to  cross 
it,  for  the  bark  was  slippery,  the  tree  was  more 
than  half  decayed,  and  its  top  rested  but  lightly 
on  the  opposite  bank.  He  was  not  allowed 
many  minutes  in  which  to  make  up  his  mind 
what  he  would  do,  for  while  he  stood  looking, 
first  at  the  tree,  aud  then  up  and  down  the 


THE  LEAP  FOR  LIFE.— PAGE  115. 


IN   THE   MOUNTAINS.  115 

gorge,  in  the  hope  of  finding  some  better  way 
of  crossing,  he  was  startled  by  a  whistling 
sound  in  the  air,  an  arrow  whizzed  by  much 
too  close  to  his  head  for  comfort,  and  glancing 
from  a  tree  on  the  opposite  bank,  fell  down 
into  the  gorge. 

Frank  was  so  frightened  that  for  a  moment 
he  was  deprived  of  all  power  of  action ;  and 
before  he  could  look  around  to  see  where  the 
missile  came  from,  another  arrow  whistled  by, 
a  little  closer  to  him  than  the  other,  and  then 
came  a  third,  which  found  a  lodgment  in  the 
mask  which  he  carried  in  his  hand.  Then 
Frank  began  to  realize  that  it  was  dangerous 
to  stand  there  in  that  exposed  position  ;  and 
in  the  excitement  of  the  moment,  scarcely 
knowing  what  he  was  about,  he  gathered  all 
his  energies  for  the  effort,  bounded  into  the 
air,  alighted  in  safety  on  the  other  side  of  the 
gorge,  and  in  a  moment  more  was  concealed 
behind  a  tree  which  grew  on  the  edge  of  the 
precipice.  This  feat  called  forth  an  exclama- 
tion of  amazement  from  his  concealed  enemy ; 
and  when  Frank  looked  back  at  the  gorge, 
he  was  astonished  himself.  He  never  could 


116  FRANK  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

have  made  a  standing  jump  like  that  in  hia 
sober  moments. 

Scarcely  had  Frank  disappeared  behind  his 
tree,  when  a  young  Indian  stepped  from  the 
bushes,  and  stood  out  in  full  view  of  him.  It 
was  his  rival  of  the  morning — the  one  with 
whom  he  had  run  the  foot-race.  He  carried  a 
bow,  and  a  quiver  full  of  arrows,  in  his  hand, 
and  stood  gazing  earnestly  at  the  gorge,  as 
if  mentally  calculating  its  width ;  and  the 
more  he  looked  at  it,  the  more  astonished  the 
became. 

"Ugh  !"  he  grunted,  at  last.  "Good  boy! 
Make  good  jump,  make  very  good  jump  I"  Then 
looking  toward  the  place  where  Frank  was 
concealed,  he  called  out :  "  Hay,  you !  " 

The  young  Indian  did  not  speak  these  words 
as  plainly  as  we  have  written  them.  He  ut- 
tered them  with  his  teeth  closed,  and  with  a 
grunting,  guttural  sound,  that  can  not  be  imi- 
tated on  paper. 

"What  do  you  want?"  asked  the  fugitive, 
surprised  to  hear  himself  thus  addressed. 

"  You  come  over,  and  I  no  shoot,"  replied 
the  young  Indian. 


IN  THE  MOUNTAINS.  117 

"  Go  over  there !  "  exclaimed  Frank,  "  I 
guess  rot.  If  you  want  to  see  me  more  than 
I  want  to  see  you,  you  must  come  over  here. 
What  do  you  want,  any  how?" 

"  We  go  back  to  chief.     I  no  shoot." 

"  Well,  if  it 's  all  the  same  to  you,  I  '11  wait 
awhile  before  I  go  back  to  the  chief.  You 
want  the  honor  of  taking  me  prisoner,  but  you 
sha'n't  have  it." 

"You  no  come?"  asked  the  savage. 

"  No,  I  no  come.     I  '11  stay  here." 

"  You  no  come,  I  shoot." 

"  Go  ahead ;  but  keep  yourself  pretty  close 
over  there,  or  I  may  shoot  too." 

"  Oh,  no,"  laughed  the  Indian.  "  You  got 
no  gun,  no  pistol,  no  knife — no  nothing." 

If  the  young  warrior  had  only  known  it,  he 
was  mistaken  in  this.  Frank  had  something, 
which,  although  by  no  means  as  serviceable  as 
a  rifle  or  revolver  would  have  been,  was  still 
effective  enough  in  his  hands  to  keep  his  enemy 
from  crossing  the  gorge.  While  this  conver- 
sation was  going  on,  he  had  taken  a  good  view 
of  his  situation,  and  finding  that  he  had  no 
way  of  retreat,  he  had  prepared  himself  to 


118  FRANK   IX  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

stand  a  siege.  The  tree  behind  which  Ke  had 
taken  refuge  was  a  very  small  one,  not  more 
than  half  large  enough  to  conceal  him  from  the 
view  of  the  Indian,  and  stood,  as  we  have  said, 
on  the  very  brink  of  the  gorge.  It  afforded 
him  but  a  poor  protection,  but  he  knew  that 
he  must  remain  there,  for  there  was  not  another 
tree  or  rock,  or  even  a  thicket  of  bushes  large 
enough  to  conceal  him,  within  twenty  yards, 
and  the  mountain  at  his  back  was  much  too 
steep  to  be  scaled.  If  he  left  his  tree  to  find  a 
better  place  of  concealment,  he  would  present 
a  fair  mark  for  the  arrows  of  the  Indian,  who 
handled  his  bow  with  so  much  skill  that  Frank 
did  not  care  to  expose  himself. 

Frank,  seeing  that  he  was  fairly  cornered, 
began  making  preparations  for  compelling  his 
enemy  to  remain  on  his  own  side  of  the  gully ; 
for  he  noticed  that  the  young  warrior  carried 
a  knife  and  tomahawk  in  his  belt,  and  he  was 
afraid  that,  if  he  allowed  him  to  come  to  close 
quarters,  he  might  not  be  able  to  vanquish  him 
as  easily  as  he  had  done  before.  At  the  foot 
of  the  tree  was  a  rock  which  had  begun  crum- 
bling away;  and  while  he  was  talking  to  the 


LN   THE  MOUNTAINS.  119 

Indian,  Frank  had  busied  himself  in  collecting 
the  pieces  that  were  of  a  size  and  weight  con- 
venient to  throw.  He  had  played  ball  so  often 
that  he  had  become  a  swift  and  accurate 
thrower,  and  he  told  himself  that  if  the  In- 
dian did  not  mind  what  he  was  about,  the 
interview  would  end  in  a  way  he  had  not 
dreamed  of. 

"  He  thinks  he  has  got  me  fast  now," 
thought  Frank ;  "  but  I  should  n't  wonder  if 
he  found  himself  mistaken.  If  he  gives  me  a 
fair  chance,  I  '11  knock  him  down  with  one 
of  these  rocks,  and  go  over  there  and  take  his 
weapons  away  from  him.  Then  I  '11  make 
him  guide  me  to  the  -fort  by  the  shortest 
route." 

"  Hay,  you  white  boy !  You  no  come  I 
shoot ! "  exclaimed  the  Indian  again ;  and,  as 
he  spoke,  he  fitted  an  arrow  to  his  bow,  and 
pointed  it  at  Frank. 

"Shoot  away!"  replied  the  latter. 

The  Indian  let  fly  the  arrow,  and  Frank 
threw  a  stone  at  the  same  instant.  Both 
made  good  shots.  The  arrow  struck  the  tree 
behind  which  our  hero  was  concealed,  ani  the 


120  FRANK  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

atone  whistled  through  the  feathers  on  the 
young  warrior's  head-dress.  He  escaped  by 
an  inch. 

"  Ugh ! "  he  ejaculated,  in  great  astonish- 
ment. 

"Ugh!"  echoed  Frank.  "Didn't  I  tell 
you  that  you  had  better  keep  close?  Look 
out!  Here  comes  another!" 

Away  flew  a  second  stone,  and  the  Indian 
dived  into  the  bushes  just  in  time  to  avoid  it, 
for  it  went  straight  toward  the  mark.  He 
began  to  have  some  respect  for  the  white  boy, 
who,  although  he  was  without  a  weapon  of 
any  kind,  was  still  brave  enough  to  stand  his 
ground. 

The  contest  thus  commenced  was  kept  up 
for  a  quarter  of  an  hour.  The  arrows  whistled 
by  the  tree  whenever  Frank  showed  so  much 
as  an  inch  of  his  head,  and  were  always  an- 
swered by  a  volley  of  stones,  which  flew  like 
bullets  through  the  bushes  where  the  Indian 
was  concealed,  compelling  him  more  than  once 
to  change  his  position.  Then  there  was  quiet 
for  awhile,  and  the  combatants  stood  watch- 
Ing  one  another,  Frank  keeping  a  sharp  IOOK. 


IN  THE  MOUNTAINS.  121 

out  for  any  tricks  on  the  part  of  his  antagonist, 
and  wondering  what  would  be  his  next  move. 
He  was  not  long  in  finding  out,  for  presently 
the  young  warrior  set  up  a  whoop  which  ech- 
oed and  re-echoed  among  the  mountains,  until 
it  seemed  to  Frank  that  the  woods  were  full 
of  yelling  savages. 

"  If  he  is  trying  to  frighten  me,  I  hope  he 
will  have  a  good  time  of  it,"  thought  Frank. 
"  Perhaps  he  has  settled  himself  down  there 
with  the  intention  of  starving  me  out.  If  he 
has,  he  will  find  it  up-hill  business,  for  I  can 
go  without  food  and  water  as  long  as  he  can. 
If  I  only  had  my  rifle,  would  n't  I  show  him 
something?" 

The  Indian  waited  a  few  minutes,  and  re- 
peated the  yell ;  and  this  time,  to  Frank's  utter 
amazement  and  consternation,  there  was  an 
answer.  It  came  faintly  to  his  ears,  but  still 
it  was  so  plain  and  distinct  that  he  knew  he 
could  not  be  mistaken.  Had  his  rival  been 
calling  for  assistance  ?  The  question  was 
scarcely  formed  in  his  mind,  when  the  savage 
raised  his  head  above  the  bushes,  and  coolly 
announced : 


122  FRANK   IN  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

"  Hay,  you  white  boy !  More  Indian  coining ! " 
At  that  moment  Frank's  body,  being  but 
partially  protected  by  his  tree,  offered  a  fair 
mark,  and  the  young  savage  was  prompt  to 
take  advantage  of  it.  Another  arrow  flew 
across  the  gully,  and  this  time  it  was  not 
thrown  away.  Frank  reeled  a  moment,  threw 
his  arms  wildly  about  his  head,  and  fell  heavily 
to  the  ground. 


FRANK'S  FRIEND,  THE  GRIZZLY.       123 


CHAPTER  VIII. 
FRANK'S  FRIEND,  THE  GRIZZLY. 

young  Indian  was  evidently  very  much 
-*-  surprised  at  the  result  of  his  shot.  He 
stood  for  a  moment  as  if  petrified,  looking  at 
the  prostrate  form  across  the  gorge,  and  then 
slowly  and  cautiously  stepped  out  of  the  bushes 
to  take  a  nearer  view.  He  shaded  his  eyes 
with  his  hand,  twisted  himself  into  all  sorts 
of  shapes,  ran  up  and  down  the  bank,  and 
looked  at  the  motionless  figure  from  a  dozen 
different  positions,  and  having  satisfied  him- 
self at  last  that  his  enemy  was  really  dead,  he 
placed  his  hand  to  his  mouth,  and  uttered  a 
series  of  hideous  yells,  that  once  more  awoke 
the  echoes  far  and  near. 

His  next  move  was  to  cross  the  gorge.  He 
could  not  jump  it,  as  Frank  had  done,  and  so 
was  obliged  to  make  use  of  the  tree.  It  trem- 


124  FRANK  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

bled  and  cracked  beneath  his  weight,  but  he 
crossed  it  in  safety,  and  bending  over  the 
young  hunter,  twisted  his  hand  in  his  hair  and 
yelled  furiously.  He  held  this  position  but  an 
instant.  He  looked  for  the  wound  made  by 
the  arrow,  but  could  not  find  it.  He  felt  some- 
thing, however,  and  that  was  a  very  slight  pull 
at  his  belt,  as  four  sinewy  fingers  were  care- 
fully inserted  beneath  it.  With  a  cry  of  terror 
he  sprang  to  his  feet,  and  Frank  arose  with 
him — unharmed,  save  a  slight  red  mark  across 
his  forehead,  and  as  full  of  fight  as  ever.  Be- 
fore the  young  Indian  could  fully  comprehend 
the  trick  that  had  been  played  upon  him,  his 
cries  for  help  were  stifled  by  a  strong  grasp  on 
his  throat,  and  he  was  thrown  flat  upon  hip 
back,  with  his  head  hanging  over  the  brink  of 
the  precipice. 

"Now,  red  skin,  I'll  shew  you  how  easily 
I  can  handle  you,"  exclaimec  Frank.  "I  was 
only  playing  with  you  this  morning,  but  now 
I  am  in  earnest.  Keep  perfectly  still,  or  I  '11 
pitch  you  into  the  gully." 

Frank,  as  we  have  said,  was  greatly  alarmed 
when  he  found  that  the  Indian  had  been  call- 


FRANK'S  FRIEND,  THE  GRIZZLY.       125 

ing  for  assistance,  and  that  his  shouts  had 
elicited  a  response  from  some  of  his  friends, 
lie  had  no  fears  but  that  he  could  hold  his 
ground  against  one  Indian,  armed  with  a  bow 
and  arrow,  but  suppose  that  the  reinforcements 
who  were  coming  up  were  full-grown  Indians, 
and  supplied  with  rifles?  He  must  escape  from 
there  before  they  arrived ;  and  the  only  way 
that  he  could  discover  to  accomplish  this,  was 
to  contrive  some  plan  to  induce  his  antagonist 
to  cross  the  gorge.  If  he  could  bring  him  to 
close  quarters,  and  could  get  hold  of  him  before 
he  had  an  opportunity  to  draw  his  knife  or 
tomahawk,  he  was  sure  that  he  would  have 
nothing  to  fear ;  but  he  dared  not  leave  his 
tree  while  his  enemy  held  his  position  on  the 
opposite  side  of  the  gully,  for  he  would  send 
his  arrows  about  him  like  hail-stones. 

All  these  thoughts  passed  through  Frank's 
mind  in  an  instant  of  time ;  and  when  the 
savage  discharged  his  last  arrow  at  him — it 
passed  so  close  to  him  that  it  left  a  mark  across 
his  forehead — he  staggered  and  fell,  as  if  he  had 
been  mortally  wounded.  That  was  his  plan 
for  bringing  his  enemy  across  the  gorge,  and 


126  FKA.NK  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

we  have  seen  how  it  succeeded.  His  design 
now  was  to  disarm  the  savage,  tie  him  to  a 
tree,  and  then  take  to  his  heels,  and  leave  the 
gully  as  far  behind  as  possible,  before  the  re- 
inforcements arrived. 

"  I  'm  all  right  yet,  you  see,"  said  Frank, 
holding  his  antagonist  down  with  one  hand, 
and  with  the  other  unfastening  the  belt  in 
which  he  carried  his  knife  and  tomahawk. 
"  If  you  live  a  few  years  longer,  you  will  learn 
that  an  Indian  never  gets  smart  enough  to 
outwit  a  white  man.  Now " 

Frank  did  not  finish  the  sentence,  for  just 
then  he  happened  to  look  up,  and  saw  a  sight 
that  drove  all  thoughts  of  the  Indian  out  of 
his  mind.  The  bank  on  which  he  and  his  an- 
tagonist were  lying,  hung  over  the  gorge,  and 
a  portion  of  it,  about  twenty  feet  square,  hav- 
ing, no  doubt,  been  loosened  by  their  struggles, 
was  sinking  down  into  the  abyss,  carrying  with 
it  Frank  and  the  Indian,  and  also  the  tree 
which  had  served  the  latter  for  a  breast-work. 
Its  motion  Avas  slow,  almost  imperceptible  at 
first,  but  it  was  gathering  headway,  and  moving 
more  rapidly  every  instant.  As  quick  as 


FRANK'S  FRIEND,  THE  GRIZZLY.       127 

thought  Frank  was  on  his  feet,  and  gathering 
himself  for  a  spring;  but  it  was  too  late.  The 
earth  slid  from  beneath  him,  and,  like  a  drown- 
ing man  grasping  at  straws,  Frank  clutched 
the  branches  of  the  tree  with  a  death-grip,  and 
plunged  with  it  into  the  gorge.  For  an  instant 
he  descended  with  what  seemed  to  him  light- 
ning rapidity,  and  then  the  motion  was  sud- 
denly checked — so  suddenly,  that  the  branches 
were  almost  torn  from  his  grasp — and  he  found 
himself  swinging  in  the  air,  twenty  feet  below 
the  top  of  the  precipice.  The  tree  was  hang- 
ing with  its  head  downward,  but  its  roots  were 
still  imbedded  in  the  firm  earth  above;  and 
that  was  all  that  had  saved  Frank  from  de- 
struction. 

All  this  passed  in  much  less  time  than  we 
have  taken  to  describe  it,  and  it  may  be  imag- 
ined that  Frank's  mind  was  in  a  great  whirl. 
When  he  recovered  himself  sufficiently  to  un- 
derstand his  situation,  he  looked  up  and  saw 
the  young  Indian  clinging  to  the  roots  of  the 
tree,  and  struggling  to  draw  himself  up  to  the 
firm  ground  above.  He  saw  more :  he  saw 
that  with  every  effort  the  Indian  made,  he  was 


J28  FRANK  IN  THE   MOUNTAINS. 

loosening  the  roots  of  the  tree,  and  that  one  by 
one  they  were  giving  away.  Forgetting,  in 
that  moment  of  peril,  that  he  and  the  young 
warrior  had  been  engaged  in  a  desperate  fight 
but  a  moment  before,  Frank,  still  hanging  at 
arm's  length  from  the  branches  of  the  tree, 
with  an  abyss  of  unknown  depth  below  him, 
into  which  he  was  every  instant  expecting  to 
be  plunged  by  the  giving  away  of  the  roots 
above,  addressed  words  of  advice  and  encour- 
agement to  the  frightened  savage. 

"  Take  it  easy,  up  there ! "  said  he,  coolly. 
"  Do  n't  thrash  about  so,  for  you  are  only  ex- 
hausting yourself,  without  doing  any  good. 
Take  your  time,  and  you  are  all  right." 

But  the  Indian  was  too  nearly  overcome  with 
fear,  and  too  intent  upon  extricating  himself 
from  his  dangerous  position,  to  heed  the  advice. 
He  struggled  more  desperately  than  ever,  and 
finally,  to  Frank's  immense  relief,  succeeded 
in  pulling  himself  over  the  roots,  and  crawling 
up  to  the  solid  bank.  Then  his  fear  all  van- 
ished. He  uttered  a  loud  yell  of  exultation, 
and  bent  over  the  precipice  to  look  at  Frank, 
who  was  coming  up  through  the  branches  hand 


FRANK'S  FRIEND,  THE  GRIZZLY.       129 

over  hand.  He  watched  him  for  a  moment, 
and  then  disappeared  from  view;  and  when  he 
came  back  to  the  brink  of  the  gorge,  he  carried 
his  bow  in  his  hand,  with  an  arrow  fitted  to 
the  string,  which  he  drew  to  its  head,  and 
pointed  straight  at  Frank's  breast. 

The  young  hunter  was  now  menaced  by  an- 
other danger.  He  had  escaped  falling  into  the 
gorge  almost  by  a  miracle,  but  it  did  not  seem 
possible  that  there  was  the  least  chance  for  es- 
cape this  time.  The  Indian  was  standing  on 
the  bank  above  him,  and  Frank  could  almost 
touch  the  steel  head  of  the  arrow  with  his  hand. 
He  was  completely  at  the  mercy  of  his  foe, 
who  surely  could  not  miss  so  large  a  mark  at 
that  distance.  His  bearing  at  that  moment 
would  have  delighted  Dick  Lewis,  could  he 
have  seen  him.  He  hung  by  his  hands  from 
the  branches  of  the  tree,  looking  defiantly  up 
into  the  Indian's  face,  and  not  a  muscle  quiv- 
ered. The  young  warrior  was  evidently  aston- 
.ished,  for  he  lowered  his  bow,  gazed  down  at 
his  helpless  antagonist  for  a  moment,  and 
called  out : 

"  White  boy,  you  no  afnaid!"    '.  ,-,.  -  ./„ 
9 


130  FRANK  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

"Shoot  close,"  replied  Frank,  his  voice  aa 
firm  and  steady  as  ever.  "  If  you  miss,  yon 
are  a  goner." 

Once  more  the  arrow  was  drawn  to  its  head, 
and  pointed  at  Frank's  heart;  but  the  Indian 
did  not  shoot.  He  looked  up,  as  if  alarmed 
by  some  unusual  sound,  and  then,  to  Frank's 
astonishment,  dropped  his  bow,  and  took  to  his 
heels.  The  young  hunter  could  not  imagine 
what  had  caused  his  precipitate  flight,  and  just 
then  he  did  not  care.  Something  had  be- 
friended him  by  frightening  the  Indian  away 
most  opportunely,  and  Frank  improved  the 
respite  thus  unexpectedly  given  him,  by  clasp- 
ing his  legs  around  the  body  of  the  tree,  and 
ascending  quickly  to  the  top  of  the  gorge.  He 
did  not  know  what  new  danger  he  might  meet 
there,  nor  did  he  give  the  matter  a  moment's 
thought.  He  would  certainly  have  a  much 
better  chance  for  life  while  standing  on  the 
solid  ground,  where  he  could  fight  or  run,  as 
circumstances  might  require,  than  he  had  while 
hanging  suspended  in  the  air  over  the  brink 
of  the  gorge. 

In  a  ffew  seconds  Frank  was  within  reach  of 


FRANK'S  FRIEND,  THE  GRIZZLY.       131 

the  roots  of  the  tree,  and  drawing  in  a  long 
breath  of  relief,  he  pulled  himself  over  them, 
and  looked  cautiously  over  the  top  of  the  bank. 
Then  he  saw  that  the  friend  who  had  rescued 
him  from  the  arrow  of  the  savage,  was  an  enor- 
mous grizzly  bear,  almost  large  and  ugly  enough 
to  be  a  second  Old  Davy.  About  fifty  yards 
down  the  bank  of  the  ravine  stood  a  scrub  pine ; 
and  in  its  topmost  brandies  sat  the  young  war- 
rior, looking  down  at  his  shaggy  foe,  which 
was  walking  in  a  circle  around  the  tree,  now 
and  then  seating  himself  on  his  haunches,  and 
gazing  up  into  it,  as  if  trying  to  contrive  some 
plan  to  bring  the  Indian  down  to  him. 

"  Hurra  for  you,  grizzly,"  said  Frank,  to 
himself.  "  You  have  rendered  me  a  most  val- 
uable service ;  and  that  you  may  never  feel  a 
trapper's  bullet,  or  an  Indian's  arrow,  is  the 
sincere  wish  of,  yours  truly.  Keep  him  up 
there  for  an  hour  or  two,  and  I'll  just  take  his 
weapons,  and  make  myself  scarce  about  here. 
I  '11  never  forget  this  gully  as  long  as  I  live." 

Frank  crawled  noiselessly  upon  the  bank, 
picked  up  the  bow,  and  the  quiver  of  arrows, 
possessed  himself  of  the  Indian's  belt,  which 


l32  FRANK   IX  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

contained  his  knife  and  tomahawk,  and  looked 
about  for  some  means  of  crossing  the  gorge 
without  attracting  the  attention  of  the  grizzly. 
That  was  a  matter  that  he  need  not  have  trou- 
bled himself  about,  for  the  bear's  quick  ear 
had  caught  the  sound  of  his  footsteps,  and, 
leaving  the  tree,  he  turned  to  attack  Frank. 
He  came  on  at  a  rapid  pace,  uttering  hideous 
growls,  and  looking  savage  enough  to  frighten 
any  body.  He  certainly  frightened  Frank, 
who  could  see  but  one  way  of  escape,  and  that 
was  to  jump  the  gully.  It  was  wider  now 
than  it  was  before,  but  he  had  a  chance  for 
a  running  start,  and  he  accomplished  the  feat 
in  safety,  to  the  no  small  amazement  of  the 
Indian,  who  yelled  at  him  with  all  the  strength 
of  his  lungs. 

"  I  suppose  you  thought  I  was  caught,  did  n't 
you?"  exclaimed  Frank.  "Well,  I  wasn't. 
I  am  all  right  yet;  and  now  I  will  leave  you 
in  the  grizzly's  company." 

But  Frank,  as  it  happened,  was  not  yet  done 
with  the  bear.  The  animal  stopped  when  he 
eaw  that  the  boy  had  eluded  him,  and  turned 
immediately,  and  ran  toward  the  tree  which 


FRANK'S  FRIEND,  THE  GRIZZLE,       133 

lay  across  the  gully.  Things  began  to  look 
dark  again  for  the  young  hunter.  If  the  bear 
were  allowed  to  cross  the  gorge,  he  would,  of 
course,  compel  him  to  take  refuge  in  a  tree, 
and  there  was  no  knowing  how  long  he  might 
keep  him  there.  He  could  not  forget  that 
there  were  more  Indians  not  a  great  way  off, 
and  that  they  had  heard  the  young  warrior's 
yells,  and  were  hastening  to  his  assistance. 
The  grizzly,  although  he  had  saved  him  from 
the  fury  of  his  rival,  might,  after  all,  be  the 
cause  of  his  capture. 

Frank  saw  the  necessity  of  prompt  action. 
His  first  thought  was  to  try  an  arrow  on  the 
bear ;  but  he  abandoned  the  idea  when  he  re- 
flected that  the  bow  was  a  weapon  to  which  he 
was  not  accustomed,  and  that  the  chances  were 
not  one  in  ten  that  his  arrow  would  reach  a 
vital  part.  The  grizzly  was  already  half  way 
across  the  gorge.  The  tree  shook  and  bent  be- 
neath his  weight,  and  Frank  hoped  it  would 
break ;  but  he  could  not  afford  to  trust  any 
thing  to  luck.  He  put  it  out  of  the  animal's 
power  to  cross  to  his  side  of  the  gully,  and 
caused  his  destruction  at  the  same  time,  by 


134  FRANK  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

seizing  the  tree  with  both  hands,  and  lifting  it 
from  its  place,  and  pitching  it  over  the  preci- 
pice. It  fell  with  a  loud  crash,  carrying  with 
it  the  bear,  which  speedily  disappeared  from 
his  view  among  the  bushes  and  rocks  which 
covered  the  sides  of  the  gorge. 

Frank,  scarcely  waiting  to  see  what  had  be- 
come of  the  grizzly,  snatched  up  the  Indian's 
weapons,  and  flew  down  the  mountain  at  the 
top  of  his  speed,  fastening  the  belt  around  his 
waist,  and  slinging  the  quiver  of  arrows  over 
his  shoulder  as  he  ran.  His  mishaps  at  the 
gully  had  consumed  a  good  deal  of  valuable 
time,  and  Frank  was  now  in  momentary  ex- 
pectation of  hearing  the  reinforcements,  who 
had  been  summoned  by  his  rival,  bounding 
along  his  trail  in  pursuit.  He  could  not  hope 
to  beat  full-grown  Indian  braves  in  a  fair  race, 
but  he  could,  perhaps,  elude  them,  and  this  he 
resolved  to  attempt.  He  had  often  heard  the 
trappers  describe  the  plans  to  which  they  re- 
sorted to  throw  pursuing  Indians  off  their  trail, 
and  the  information  he  had  gained  from  their 
stories  was  of  value  to  him  now.  He  walked 
on  every  log  he  could  find,  jumped  from  rock 


FRANK'S  FRIEND,  THE  GRIZZLY.       135 

to  rock,  doubled  on  his  trail,  and  finally  he 
found  himself  on  the  banks  of  a  little  trout- 
brook,  the  course  of  which  he  followed  for  two 
or  three  miles,  walking  in  the  water  all  the 
way.  Of  course,  as  he  paid  no  attention  to  the 
points  of  the  compass,  he  got  completely  be- 
wildered; and  when  he  stepped  out  of  the 
brook,  and  sat  down  on  the  bank  to  rest,  he 
did  not  know  whether  he  had  been  traveling 
toward  the  fort  or  not,  or  whether  he  was  dis- 
tant from  it  one  mile  or  twenty.  But  that  was 
a  matter  that  did  not  trouble  him.  He  was 
satisfied  that  he  had  eluded  pursuit  for  the 
present,  and  he  was  also  certain  of  another 
thing,  and  that  was,  that  he  was  very  hungry. 
His  first  care  must  be  to  obtain  something  to 
eat.  That  was  not  a  difficult  task,  for  there 
was  a  trout-brook  at  his  feet,  and  he  had  a  fish- 
line,  and  a  flint  and  steel  in  his  pocket.  In 
half  an  hour's  time  a  fire  was  burning  brightly 
on  the  bank,  three  large  trout,  supported  on 
sticks  driven  into  the  ground,  were  roasting 
before  it,  and  Frank  lay  stretched  out  on  the 
grass,  watching  the  fish  with  a  hungry  eye, 
and  thinking  over  his  adventures  at  the  gully. 


136  FRANK   IN  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

He  began  to  be  lonesome,  and  to  long  for  com- 
panionship; and  his  wish  was  gratified  before 
he  was  many  minutes  older,  for,  when  the  fish 
were  done  to  a  turn,  and  he  was  about  to  begin 
his  meal,  he  was  startled  by  the  sound  of  v<  ices 
and  footsteps.  He  listened  intently  for  a  mo- 
ment, and  finding  that  the  sounds  grew  louder, 
and  that  the  intruders,  whoever  they  were, 
were  approaching  his  camp,  he  caught  up  his 
bow  and  arrows,  and  darted  into  the  bushes. 
He  had  barely  time  to  conceal  himself  before 
Black  Bill  and  Adam  Brent  emerged  from  a 
thicket  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  brook.  The 
former  stopped  and  looked  about  him  suspi- 
ciously when  he  saw  the  fire,'and  the  fish  roast- 
ing before  it,  and  cocked  his  rifle,  as  if  in  mo- 
mentary expectation  of  discovering  an  enemy. 
A  single  glance  at  Adam's  face  satisfied  Frank 
that  he  was  a  prisoner,  and  not  a  willing  com- 
panion of  the  outlaw. 

"  Somebody  has  been  campin'  thar,"  said 
Black  Bill ;  "  but  I  reckon  he  heered  us,  an' 
tuk  himself  off.  We  '11  go  over  an'  look  at 
things,  an'  see  what's  been  goin'  on." 

The  outlaw  and  his  captive  crossed  the  brook, 


FRANK'S  FRIEND,  THE  GRIZZLY.       137 

and  the  former,  after  a  few  minutes'  examina- 
tion of  the  ground  about  the  fire,  struck  the 
butt  of  his  rifle  with  his  fist,  and  opened  his 
eyes  in  great  amazement. 

"  It 's  the  feller  that  run  the  foot-race  yes- 
terday, as  sartin  as  I  'm  alive,"  said  he,  in  a 
tone  of  voice  which  indicated  that  he  did  not 
understand  the  matter  at  all ;  "  an'  I  'd  like  to 
know  how  he  come  here.  The  last  time  I  seed 
him  he  was  a  prisoner  in  the  chiefs  lodge,  an' 
thar  were  two  Injuns  guardin'  him.  See  them 
shoe-prints  on  the  bank  of  the  brook?  Thar's 
where  he  stood  when  he  ketched  them  fish. 
An'  here 's  the  pole  he  used,  too.  He  was 
layin'  on  the  grass  beside  that  rock,  an'  when 
he  heered  us  comin',  he  run  off." 

"Which  was  a  lucky  thing  for  him,"  ob- 
served Adam. 

"  "Wai,  I  do  n't  reckon  it  will  do  him  any 
good/'  replied  the  outlaw ;  "  'cause  arter  we 
eat  these  yere  fish  of  his'n,  we'll  hunt  him  up. 
If  we  do  n't  find  him,  some  of  the  Injuns  will, 
most  likely ;  an'  even  if  he  aint  ketched  at,  all, 
how  much  better  off  is  he  than  he  would  be 
with  the  chief?  Thar  aint  nothing  left  of  Fo~t 


138  FRANK   IN  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

Stockton,  an'  lie  can't  find  no  friends  short  of 
Fort  Ben  ton,  an'  that's  a  good  hundred  miles 
from  here." 

Frank  was  lying  in  the  bushes,  not  more 
than  twenty  feet  from  the  outlaw,  and  dis- 
tinctly heard  every  word  of  the  conversation. 
The  information  he  gained  from  it  destroyed 
his  last  hope.  The  savages  had  made  the  at- 
tack upon  the  trading-post  during  the  previous 
night,  and  it  had  been  successful.  The  sol- 
diers and  trappers  were  all  massacred  or  scat- 
tered to  the  four  winds  of  heaven,  and  he  had 
no  friends  to  look  to  for  assistance  within  less 
than  a  hundred  miles.  The  prospect  before 
him  was  certainly  most  discouraging,  but  he 
could  not  dwell  upon  it  then,  for  he  had  other 
matters  to  think  of.  He  was  in  close  proxim- 
ity to  a  dangerous  enemy,  and  how  was  he  to 
elude  him?  This  question  was  answered  by 
the  outlaw  himself,  whose  actions  suggested  to 
Frank  another  daring  project,  which  he  was 
prompt  to  carry  into  execution.  Black  Bill 
laid  his  rifle  upon  the  ground,  and  kneeled 
down  beside  the  brook  to  drink.  Scarcely  had 
he  taken  a  swallow  of  the  water,  when  he  heard 


CAPTURE  OF  BLACK  BILL  BY  FRANK  AND  ADAM  BRENT 
CHAP  ix,  PAGE  138. 


FRANK'S  FRIEND,  THE  GRIZZLY.       139 

footsteps  behind  him,  and  upon  looking  up  saw 
Frank  standing  over  him  with  his  bow  in  his 
hand,  and  an  arrow  pointed  straight  at  his 
breast. 

"Don't  move  hand  or  foot,"  said  the  young 
hunter,  so  excited  that  he  could  scarcely  speak. 
"Your  game  is  up." 

Adam  was  no  less  astonished  at  Frank's  sud- 
den appearance  than  was  the  outlaw;  but  he 
quickly  recovered  his  presence  of  mind,  and 
catching  up  his  captor's  rifle,  leveled  it  full  at 
his  head. 

"  Surrender,  Black  Bill ! "  he  exclaimed. 
"  If  you  attempt  to  get  up  I  '11  send  a  ball 
into  you." 

The  looks  of  the  weapons  were  enough  to 
frighten  the  outlaw  into  submission.  He  made 
no  remark,  but  it  was  easy  enough  to  see  that 
he  was  not  brave  enough  to  think  seriously  of 
attempting  resistance. 

"  Now,  Adam,"  said  Frank,  "  keep  him  cov- 
ered with  your  rifle,  and  if  he  shows  fight, 
bang  away.  I'll  soon  put  it  out  of  his  power 
to  do  any  mischief." 

As  Frank   spoke   he  produced   his  fish-line 


140  FRANK  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

from  his  pocket,  and  after  doubling  it  two  01 
three  times,  passed  it  around  the  outlaw's 
wrists,  and  tied  it  securely.  The  latter,  at 
first,  showed  a  disposition  to  be  ugly,  and  re- 
sisted Frank's  efforts  to  bring  his  hands  behind 
his  back ;  but  the  expression  he  saw  on  the 
faoj  of  Adam  Brent,  as  he  cocked  the  rifle,  and 
placed  its  cold  muzzle  against  his  temple, 
quickly  brought  him  to  terms.  Frank  han- 
dled the  fish-line  skilfully,  and  in  a  few  min- 
utes the  outlaw  was  as  helpless  as  though  he 
had  been  in  irons. 

"  There  !  "  said  Adam  ;  "  he  is  all  right,  and 
so  am  I.  I  feel  a  little  more  at  ease  than  I 
did  ten  minutes  ago.  What 's  to  be  done 
now  ?  " 

"  The  first  think  is  breakfast,"  replied  Frank. 
"  Here  are  three  trout — one  apiece ;  and  al- 
though they  are  hardly  enough  to  make  a  meal 
for  one  hungry  man,  we  can't  catch  any  more, 
for  my  fish-line  is  in  use.  Help  yourself.  I'll 
feed  Black  Bill,  if  he  wants  any  thing  to  eat. 
By  the  way,  is  this  man  what  he  claims  to  be  ?  " 

"  I  suppose  he  is  my  uncle,"  answered  Adam  , 
"but  he  doesn't  act  like  it,  does  he?  He  has 


FRANK'S  FRIEND,  THE  GRIZZLY.       141 

kept  me  a  prisoner  for  ten  years ;  or,  it  amounts 
to  the  same  thing,  for  I  could  scarcely  go  out 
of  the  house,  unless  accompanied  by  my  father. 
That  is. the  story  I  promised  to  tell  you,  and 
I  will  relate  it  now  while  we  are  resting  and 
eating  our  breakfast.  Then  I  will  tell  you 
what  happened  last  night  at  the  fort." 

"  Black  Bill,  if  you  want  me  to  feed  you, 
come  here,"  said  Frank. 

"  Chaw  your  own  grub,"  was  the  gruff  re- 
sponse. 

"  All  right.  If  you  get  hungry  before  night, 
you  will  know  who  to  blame." 

The  boys,  leaving  the  outlaw  sitting  sullenly 
on  the  bank  of  the  brook,  stretched  themselves 
on  the  grass  near  the  fire,  with  their  weapons 
close  at  their  side,  and  Adam  began  his  story. 


142  PRANK  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

ADAM  BRENT'S  STORY. 

"T  SHALL  try  to  tell  my  story,"  began 
-*•  Adam,  "just  as  my  father  told  it  to  me, 
years  ago.  It  is  not  a  long  one,  and  even  if 
it  was,  I  should  hurry  through  it  as  rapidly 
as  possible,  for  it  is  a  matter  I  do  not  like  to 
talk  about.  That  man,"  he  added,  nodding 
his  head  toward  the  outlaw,  and  speaking  as 
plainly  as  a  mouthful  of  fish  would  permit, 
"  is  a  walking  illustration  of  what  bad  com- 
pany will  do.  He  is  my  uncle,  I  am  sorry  to 
eay,  but,  for  a  long  time,  I  have  never  called 
him  by  any  other  name  than  Black  Bill.  In 
my  story,  however,  I  shall  speak  of  him  as 
William.  I  can  remember  when  he  was  an 
uncle  worth  having.  I  used  to  run  to  meet 
him  whenever  I  saw  him  coming,  would  stand 
at  his  side  for  hours  listening  to  the  story  of 


ADAM  BRENT'S  STORY.  143 

his  adventures  in  the  mines,  and  was  never 
easy  unless  I  was  in  his  company.  But  things 
have  changed  of  late.  I  would  run  away  from 
him  now  if  I  saw  him  coming  toward  me, 
and  I  am  much  more  uncomfortable  in  his 
presence  than  I  used  to  be  out  of  it. 

"  When  I  was  about  six  years  old,  mother 
and  I  lived  with  my  grandfather  at  Placer 
City,  in  California.  He  kept  a  grocery  and 
provision  store,  and  my  father  and  his  brother 
William  owned  and  worked  a  claim  in  the 
mines.  The  claim  paid  well,  much  better 
than  any  other  for  miles  about,  and  father 
was  steadily  growing  rich  by  his  labor. 
William  ought  to  have  been  equally  pros- 
perous, for  he  received  half  the  profits ;  but 
somehow  he  never  had  a  cent  of  money  in  his 
pocket,  but  was  continually  asking  assistance 
from  father,  of  whom  he  borrowed,  first  and 
last,  several  thousand  dollars,  which  he  has 
never  taken  the  trouble  to  return.  He  said 
he  was  buying  up  claims ;  but  when  he  had  a 
quarrel  with  a  miner  about  a  gambling  debt 
which  he  could  not  pay,  the  truth  came  out, 
and  father  saw  where  his  money  had  b<?Efn 


L44  FRANK  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

going.  He  found  out,  too,  that  for  months 
William  had  been  keeping  company  with  some 
of  the  very  worst  men  in  the  mines — 
gamblers,  horse-thieves,  and  criminals  of  every 
sort,  who  had  run  away  from  the  States  to  got 
out  of  reach  of  the  law. 

"  I  need  not  stop  to  tell  you  how  shocked 
and  pained  all  the  family  were  when  they 
heard  of  this,  or  how  they  tried,  by  every 
means  in  their  power,  to  make  William  see 
what  would  surely  be  his  end  if  he  did  not 
abandon  the  life  he  was  leading.  Of  course, 
be  made  promises  of  amendment,  and,  for  a 
tfhile,  held  manfully  to  them;  but  it  requires 
moral  courage  to  resist  temptation,  and  that 
was  something  William  did  not  possess.  It 
was  not  long  before  he  was  as  bad  as  ever; 
and  when  he  could  go  no  farther  for  want  of 
money,  he  came  to  father  to  borrow.  Then 
came  the  first  quarrel  between  the  brothers. 
Father  refused  to  accede  to  his  demand,  and 
William  threatened  vengeance.  He  did  not 
Ray  what  he  would  do,  but  father  knew  what 
he  had  determined  upon,  as  well  as  if  he  had 
tuld  him  in  so  many  words. 


ADAM  BRENT'S  STORY.  145 

"  Father  had  been  in  the  habit  of  depositing 
his  gold-dust  in  the  safe  at  the  store.  William 
knew  it,  and  was  resolved  to  have  that  gold- 
dust  If  he  could  not  borrow  it,  he  would 
steal  it.  He  broke  into  the  store  that  very 
night,  but  found  the  safe  empty.  Father  had 
removed  every  dollar  of  the  money.  The 
noise  he  made  in  breaking  open  the  safe 
aroused  grandfather,  who  slept  in  a  room  over 
the  store;  and  not  recognizing  William  in  the 
darkness,  he  gave  him  a  shot  from  his  re- 
volver. The  ball  took  effect  somewhere,  for 
the  next  morning  there  was  blood  on  the 
floor,  and  William  was  nowhere  to  be  found. 
Every  one  wondered  who  the  robber  could  be, 
and  a  great  many  questions  were  asked  about 
the  missing  man ;  for  he  had  been  a  prom- 
inent character  in  the  mines,  and  his  mys- 
terious disappearance  excited  curiosity.  But 
it  did  not  stop  there.  That  curiosity  became 
suspicion ;  and  it  was  not  long  before  it  was 
noised  abroad  that  he  was  the  guilty  one. 

"William  kept  clear  of  Placer  City  forever 
afterwaid.  The  miners  had  a  summary  way 

of  de'aling  with  suc'h  men,  and.  if  they.cdulU 
10 


146  FRANK  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

have  found  him,  the  influence  of  all  hia 
friends  and  relatives  combined  could  not  have 
saved  him.  It  was  not  long  after  that  before 
people  began  to  talk  about  Black  Bill — the 
leader  of  a  band  of  robbers  who  infested  the 
mountains  between  Placer  City  and  Sac- 
ramento ;  and  in  less  than  two  weeks  father 
fell  into  his  hands.  He  recognized  the  chief, 
if  others  did  not,  and  you  can  imagine  wnaV 
his  feelings  were  when  he  found  that  he  was 
his  own  brother.  Black  Bill  robbed  him,  as 
he  robbed  every  one  else  who  came  in  his 
way,  and  released  him  with  this  warning,  as 
nearly  as  I  can  recall  the  words: 

"'You  have  made  me  what  I  am/  said  the 
robber,  'and  I  will  be  revenged  in  a  way  you 
do  not  think  of.  I  shall  not  lift  a  hand 
against  you,  but  keep  an  eye  on  that  boy  of 
yours.  If  I  get  hold  of  him,  I  will  make 
him  a  second  Black  Bill.' 

"  That  was  all  the  outlaw  said,  but  it  was 
enough  to  frighten  father  more  than  any 
physical  danger  would  have  done;  and,  as  for 
myself,  I  might  as  well  have  been  sent  to  the 
State's  prison  at  dr  -«».  for  I  could  scardely  have 


ADAM  BRENT'S  STORY.  147 

beeii  more  closely  confined  there  than  I  was  at 
home.  Several  attempts  to  steal  me  were  frus- 
trated by  the  vigilance  of  my  father,  who,  be- 
coming weary  at  last  of  living  in  constant 
fear  of  losing  me,  sold  out  his  claim  in  the 
mines,  and  removing  to  this  wild  region, 
erected  the  house  in  which  we  lived  until  last 
night,  and  began  business  as  a  fur-trader.  It 
was  there  he  made  the  acquaintance  of  Capt. 
Porter.  No  sooner  had  we  become  fairly  set- 
tled in  our  new  home,  than  Black  Bill  made 
his  appearance ;  and,  although  he  has  occa- 
sionally been  off  on  trapping  expeditions,  he 
has  spent  the  most  of  his  time  for  the  last  ten 
years  in  hanging  around  the  valley,  watching 
his  opportunity  to  capture  me.  He  never 
succeeded,  however,  until  last  night;  and,  as 
good  luck  would  have  it,  he  was  not  destined 
to  keep  me  long." 

"O,  I  haint  done  with  you  yet!"  exclaimed 
the  outlaw,  who  had  listened  attentively  to  the 
story.  "You're  free  now,  an'  I'm  a  pris'ner; 
but  it  won't  be  so  long.  I  've  got  plenty  of 
friends  roamin'  about  among  these  mountains." 
.  "  You  have  found  out  by  this  time  that  the 


148  FRANK  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

boy  you  captured  last  night  was  not  Adam 
Brent,  haven't  you?"  said  Frank.  "Where 
is  he  now  ?  " 

«  Who— that  spunky  little  feller?  The  last 
time  I  seed  him  the  Black  Fox  was  marchin* 
him  off  to  the  woods." 

"Who's  the  Black  Fox?" 

"  I  should  think  you  had  oughter  know  him 
purty  well  by  this  time.  He  's  the  feller  you 
run  that  race  with.  I  told  him  that  if  he 
would  take  good  care  of  that  boy,  an'  not  let 
him  get  away,  I  would  make  him  a  present 
of  that  leetle  gray  hoss  of  mine." 

"  That  little  gray  horse  does  n't  belong  to 
you,  as  it  happens,"  said  Frank.  "He's 
mine." 

"  I  'd  like  to  see  you  get  him.  One  of  my 
mates,  Jack  Bowles,  has  got  him  safe." 

"  Well,  if  I  had  my  other  horse " 

Frank  was  about  to  say  that  if  he  had  Rod- 
prick,  and  could  catch  Jack  Bowles  out  on 
clear  ground,  he  would  show  him  that  he 
had  n't  got  Pete  quite  so  safe  as  he  imagined ; 
but  he  stopped  when  he  reflected  that  the 
irustang  was  a  good  many  miles  away,  and 


ADAM  BEENT'S  STORY.  149 

in  the  hands  of  the  savages,  and  that  possibly 
he  might  never  see  him  again. 

"  I  know  where  your  other  horse  is,"  said 
Adam.  "  He  is  in  the  possession  of  Dick 
Lewis.  You  see,  when  the  trappers  learned 
that  Dick  had  been  captured,  they  went  up 
and  attacked  the  Indian  camp,  in  the  hope 
that  during  the  confusion  he  might  see  a 
chance  to  get  away.  That  was,  probably,  the 
time  that  Roderick  escaped.  At  any  rate, 
when  the  trappers  returned  to  the  fort,  the 
mustang  came  with  them,  and  Dick  took  car* 
of  him." 

"  That  'a  all  right,"  said  Frank.  "  I  knew 
the  Indians  would  never  catch  Dick.  Did  you 
see  Bob  Kelly  ?  " 

"  Yes ;  he  was  alive  and  yelling  when  we 
cut  our  way  out  of  the  fort." 

"  I  have  just  thought  of  something,"  said 
Frank,  turning  to  the  outlaw.  "  You  said 
you  gave  Archie  into  the  keeping  of  the  Black 
Fox.  I  met  the  Fox  about  three  miles  back 
in  the  mountains,  and  had  a  fight  with  him. 
What  was  he  doing  so  far  from  camp  ?  " 

"  I  do  n't  know,"  replied  the  outlaw,  look- 


150  FRANK  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

ing  thoughtfully  at  the  ground.  "  Mebbe  the 
leetle  feller  got  away  from  him." 

"  That's  just  my  idea.  Archie  escaped,  and 
he  was  in  pursuit  of  him.  If  the  Fox  knows 
when  he  is  well  oft',  he  will  get  help  before  he 
tries  to  capture  him,  for  Archie  is  plucky  and 
strong,  if  he  is  little.  But,  Adam,  you  were 
going  to  tell  me  what  happened  at  the  fort." 

"There  isn't  much  to  tell,"  was  the  reply. 
"  The  Indians  whipped  us,  and  they  were  not 
more  than  an  hour  in  doing  it.  The  trappers, 
as  I  told  you,  left  the  fort  and  made  an  attack 
on  the  village,  for  the  purpose  of  liberating 
Dick  Lewis.  Of  course,  they  did  not  expect 
to  whip  the  Indians  in  a  fair  fight;  all  they 
wanted  to  do  was  to  throw  the  camp  into 
confusion,  and  give  Dick  a  chance  to  do  some- 
thing for  himself.  But  he  had  already  es- 
caped, and  about  fifteen  minutes  after  the 
trappers  left,  he  came  into  the  fort,  puffing 
and  blowing  like  a  porpoise.  The  trappers 
were  more  successful  than  they  expected  to  be. 
Finding  the  village  nearly  deserted,  they  set  it 
on  fire,  kept  up  a  running  fight  with  the  In- 
dians for  ten  miles ;  and  sixteen  out  of  nine- 


ADAM  BRENTS  STORY.  151 

teen  returned  to  the  fort  in  safety.  The  In- 
dians, in  the  meantime,  must  have  received 
reinforcements  from  somewhere,  for  they  fol- 
lowed close  at  the  trappers'  heels;  and  no 
sooner  had  the  gates  been  closed  than  the  fight 
began. 

"You  learned  something  about  Indians 
when  they  made  the  attack  on  your  wagon- 
train,  while  you  were  coming  across  the  plains; 
but  you  have  never  been  in  a  regular  battle 
with  them,  and  you  can  have  but  a  poor  idea 
of  the  state  of  affairs  in  and  about  that  fort 
during  the  short  time  the  fight  continued. 
They  began  operations  by  setting  fire  to  our 
house  and  barns.  The  fire  lighted  up  the 
whole  valley;  and  I  shall  never  forget  how  I 
felt  when  I  looked  over  the  top  of  the  pali- 
sades and  saw  the  savages  coming  toward  us. 
I  had  never  seen  so  many  Indians  before. 
There  must  have  have  been  a  thousand  of 
them ;  and  the  determination  with  which 
they  made  and  carried  on  their  attack,  proved 
that  they  had  great  confidence  in  their  over- 
helming  numbers,  and  that  they  expected 
an  easy  victory.  They  did  not  waste  time 


152  FKANK  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

in  skulking  behind  trees  and  shooting  at  the 
fort — they  came  on  in  a  body,  like  soldiers, 
approaching  so  close  to  the  palisades  that  we 
could  touch  them  with  the  muzzles  of  our 
guns  as  we  thrust  them  through  the  loop- 
holes. They  expected,  no  doubt,  to  find  the 
fort  in  the  same  defenseless  state  in  which 
they  had  seen  it  in  the  morning — with  the 
gates  gone  and  the  walls  broken  down ;  but 
in  this  they  were  disappointed.  The  major 
had  paid  some  attention  to  Captain  Porter's 
warning,  and  the  old  trading-post  was  as 
strong  as  it  had  ever  been.  That  was  a  for- 
tunate thing  for  us,  for,  even  as  it  was,  it  was 
all  we  could  do  to  prevent  the  savages  from 
affecting  an  entrance.  They  fought  like  tigers, 
climbing  up  to  the  top  of  the  wall  and  throw- 
ing their  tomahawks  down  at  the  soldiers,  and 
even  tearing  out  the  palisades  in  some  places; 
and  I  saw  more  than  one  Indian  cut  down 
with  sabers  inside  the  fort.  The  assault  did 
not  continue  more  than  five  or  ten  minutes — 
of  course  it  seemed  much  longer  to  me — and 
then  one  of  the  chiefs  set  up  a  yell,  and  the 
savages  fell  back  to  the  cover  of  the  woods  to 


ADAM  BRENT'S  STORY.  153 

devise  some  new  plan  of  attack ;  while  we  im- 
proved the  time  to  repair  the  damage  they  had 
done.  I  say  we,  because  I  count  myself  in  aa 
one  of  the  defenders  of  the  fort.  My  bullets 
went  as  swift  and  as  straight  to  the  mark  as 
anybody's.  I  had  a  good  rifle  and  a  brace  of 
revolvers;  and,  although  I  was  excited  and 
frightened,  as  I  believe  any  other  boy  would 
have  been  under  the  same  circumstances, 
I  was  not  foolish  enough  to  waste  my  ammu- 
nition, and  did  not  shoot  unless  a  fair  mark 
was  presented.  I  know  I  hit  one  Indian,  and 
saved  a  soldier's  life ;  but  I  have  n't  come  to 
that  yet. 

"  If  you  had  been  in  the  fort,  I  do  n't  think 
you  would  have  failed  to  take  particular  notice 
of  Dick  Lewis  and  Bob  Kelly.  All  the  trap- 
pers seemed  to  be  in  their  element — I  do  n't 
believe  there  was  one  among  them  who  experi- 
enced any  more  fear  than  you  and  I  would  if 
we  were  defending  a  snow  fort  against  the  at- 
tacks of  our  schoolmates — but  Dick  and  Bob 
were  as  wild  as  any  of  the  Indians.  Such 
yells  I  never  before  heard  uttered  by  white 
men.  If  there  was  one  place  in  the  fort  more 


154  FRANK   IN  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

dangerous  than  another,  those  two  trappera 
were  sure  to  be  there.  On  one  occasion, 
when  the  Indians  had  cut  down  a  portion 
of  the  palisades,  and  the  soldiers  were  doing 
some  desperate  hand-to-hand  fighting  to  keep 
them  from  entering  through  the  opening,  Dick 
seized  one  of  the  savages,  and,  whirling  him 
clear  over  his  head,  threw  him  back  into  the 
fort,  calling  out :  f  Ketch  him,  somebody  ! ' 
Three  or  four  soldiers  sprang  upon  him  at 
once,  and  before  they  had  time  to  bind  him, 
Dick  threw  them  another.  When  the  savages 
had  been  driven  back,  and  the  soldiers  were 
repairing  the  palisades,  the  major  took  occa- 
sion to  thank  the  trappers,  and  especially  Dick 
and  Bob,  for  what  they  had  done.  The  former 
listened  attentively  to  what  he  had  to  say,  and 
then  drew  himself  up  and  gave  the  major  a 
regular  military  salute. 

"'Fightin'  comes  as  nateral  to  me  as  eatin'/ 
gaid  he.  'Me  an'  my  chum,  poor  ole  Bill 
Lawson,  fit  all  through  the  Mexikin  war ;  an3 
as  fur  Injuns,  I  've  been  in  a  heap  of  skrim- 
inages  with  'em,  fust  an'  last.  But  we  '11  have 
to  do  wusser  fightin'  nor  that  afore  we  are  done 


ADAM  BRENT'S  STORY.  155 

with  'em,  major.  They  're  goin'  to  begin  their 
tricks,  now.' 

"The  trapper  had  scarcely  uttered  these 
ivords,  when  a  chorus  of  savage  yells  arose  on 
all  sides  of  us,  and  bullets  and  arrows  began 
to  come  into  the  fort  like  hailstones.  A  new 
danger  threatened  us  now,  for  some  of  the  ar- 
rows had  bunches  of  burning  leaves  and  pine- 
knots  attached  to  them.  They  came  over  the 
walls  in  a  perfect  shower,  some  falling  on  the 
stables,  some  on  the  quarters,  and  in  less  than 
a  minute  the  fort  was  on  fire  in  a  dozen  differ- 
ent places. 

"  '  Shovels  ! '  shouted  Captain  Porter.  '  All 
my  men  turn  to  and  throw  dirt  on  the  fire !' 

"  But  the  savages  were  prepared  for  this.  A 
number  of  them  had  climbed  into  the  trees 
surrounding  the  fort,  from  which  they  could 
see  all  that  was  going  on  inside  the  palisades ; 
and  no  sooner  did  the  trappers  fall  to  work  in 
obedience  to  the  captain's  order,  than  a  storm 
of  bullets  fell  among  them,  sending  more  than 
one  poor  fellow  to  eternity,  • 

•'  For  the  next  half  hour  we  had  a  serious 
time  of  it ;  but  I  believe  the  trappers  would 


156  FRANK  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

have  succeeded  in  frustrating  the  designs  of 
the  savages,  had  it  not  been  for  the  reckless 
bravery  of  a  young  chief,  who,  in  some  mys- 
terious way,  succeeded  in  entering  the  fort  un- 
observed. How  he  managed  to  elude  the  vigi- 
lance of  the  soldiers,  who  were  watching  the 
loop-holes  while  the  trappers  were  engaged  in 
fighting  the  fire,  I  can  not  tell ;  but,  at  any 
rate,  he  got  in,  went  into  the  officers'  quarters, 
and  after  piling  a  quantity  of  clothing  in  one 

» 

corner,  set  it  on  fire.  I  was  standing  at  one 
of  the  loop-holes,  watching  a  chance  for  a  shot 
at  a  warrior  who  was  concealed  in  the  top  of  a 
tree  about  fifty  yards  from  the  fort,  when  I 
heard  a  yell,  and,  turning  quickly,  saw  a  sol- 
dier struggling  on  the  ground,  and  an  Indian 
standing  over  him  with  his  tomahawk  raised 
to  strike.  I  was  not  quick  enough  to  prevent 
the  weapon  from  descending,  but  I  destroyed 
the  Indian's  aim  by  sending  a  ball  into  his 
shoulder.  The  hatchet  grazed  the  soldier's 
head,  and  his  enemy  fell  into  the  arms  of  a 
trapper,  who  bound  him  hand  and  foot  before 
he  could  wink  twice. 

"  If  the  trapper  had  known  what  the  Indian 


ADAM  BRENT  S  STORY.  157 

had  been  doing.  I  do  not  think  he  would  have 
taken  him  prisoner.  He  believed  that  the  sav- 
age had  just  entered  the  fort,  and  that  he  had 
not  had  time  to  do  any  mischief;  but  he  soon 
discovered  his  mistake,  for  when  somebody 
opened  the  door  of  the  officers'  quarters,  a  thick 
volume  of  smoke  rushed  out.  The  trappers 
were  ordered  to  the  spot  immediately,  but  it 
was  too  late.  The  fire  had  made  rapid  head- 
way, and  the  inside  of  the  building  was  a  sheet 
of  flames.  It  quickly  spread  to  the  stables  ad- 
joining the  quarters,  thence  to  the  palisades, 
and  almost  before  we  knew  it  we  were  sur- 
rounded by  a  wall  of  fire. 

"'The  jig's  up  at  last,  youngster,'  said  Dick, 
as  he  hurried  past  me.  '  Shovels  aint  no  more 
account.  We've  got  to  trust  to  our  hosses' 
legs  now ! ' 

"I  don't  believe  I  was  ever  before  so  badly 
frightened  as  I  was  when  I  heard  these  words. 
My  situation  then  was  bad  enough,  surrounded 
as  I  was  by  burning  houses,  almost  suffocated 
by  smoke,  while  bullets  and  flaming  arrows 
were  whistling  through  the  air,  carrying  death 
nnd  destruction  on  all  sides  of  me  ;  but  to  leave 


158  FRANK  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

the  shelter  of  those  walls,  and  ride  out  of  the 
fort  under  the  very  noses  of  a  thousand  yelling 
Indians,  with  nothing  but  the  speed  of  my 
horse  to  stand  between  nie  and  their  fury — I 
tell  you,  Frank,  the  bare  thought  was  enough 
to  make  my  old  fur  cap  rise  on  my  head  as  it 
had  never  done  before.  While  I  was  standing 
inactive,  the  soldiers  had  sprung  into  their 
saddles,  and  with  drawn  sabers  in  one  hand, 
and  revolvers  in  the  other,  were  awaiting  the 
order  to  cut  their  way  out  of  the  fort.  Father 
and  Captain  Porter  had  secured  my  horse,  and 
were  looking  for  me.  I  had  barely  time  to 
mount  before  the  gate  flew  open,  the  bugle 
sounded  a  charge,  and  we  swept  out  of  the  fort 
into  the  midst  of  the  savages." 


TURNING  OUT  A  PANTHER.  159 


CHAPTER  X. 

TURNING  OUT  A  PANTHER. 

"T  HAVE  been  in  more  than  one  fight  with 
-*-  the  Indians,"  continued  Adam,  "  and  have 
heard  their  yells  more  times  than  I  can  re- 
member ;  but  I  never  heard  any  that  equaled 
those  which  rung  in  my  ears  when  the  savages 
saw  us  coming  out  of  the  fort.  At  the  moment 
the  gate  opened  they  were  preparing  for  a  sec- 
ond assault,  and  we  must  have  taken  them  by 
surprise,  for  they  scattered  right  and  left  be- 
fore us  like  a  flock  of  turkeys.  But  they  did 
not  forget  the  weapons  they  held  in  their 
hands,  and,  as  we  dashed  through  their  lines, 
the  bullets  and  arrows  whistled  about  our  ears 
thicker  than  ever.  Before  we  had  gone  fifty 
yards  from  the  gate,  I  saw  riderlesa  horses  on 
all  sides  of  me. 

"  Our  party   did    not   kdep  together   long1. 


160  FRANK  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

Pursuit  was  commenced  on  the  instant,  and 
presently  Indians,  soldiers,  and  trappers  were 
mixed  up  in  the  greatest  confusion,  so  that  I 
could  scarcely  distinguish  a  friend  from  a  foe. 
Picture  to  yourself  the  scene :  A  desperate 
hand-to-hand  contest  among  mounted  men — 
the  horses  thundering  along  at  the  top  of  their 
speed,  their  riders  too  intent  upon  fighting  to 
know  or  care  where  they  were  going;  sabers, 
tomahawks,  and  spears  flashing  in  the  air,  and 
emitting  sparks  of  fire  as  they  clashed  together  ; 
rifles  and  revolvers  cracking  right  and  left, 
their  reports  sounding  faintly  above  the  noise 
of  the  horses'  hoofs,  and  the  whoops  and  yells 
of  the  combatants ; — if  you  can  imagine  such 
a  scene,  you  can  have  a  faint  idea  of  the  run- 
ning fight  we  carried  on  with  those  savages 
while  we  were  going  through  the  valley.  As 
for  myself,  I  confess  that  I  took  but  little  part 
in  it,  I  was  so  badly  frightened.  I  emptied 
both  my  revolvers  before  we  were  fairly  out 
of  the  gate,  and  then  clung  to  the  horn  of  my 
saddle,  and  gazed  about  me  in  a  sort  of  stupid 
bewilderment,  while  my  horse  galloped  along 
the  .rest.  I  seemed  to  b'e  in  a  Sort  of 


.       TUETfING  OUT  A  PANTHEB.  161 

trance ;  and  when  I  came  to  myself  I  found 
that  I  had  become  separated  from  my  father 
and  Captain  Porter,  and  that  they  were  no- 
where to  be  seen.  I  was  almost  alone.  My 
horse,  frightened  by  the  noise  and  confusion, 
had  left  the  others,  and  was  going  toward  the 
mountains  at  a  rate  of  speed  I  had  never  sup- 
posed him  capable  of.  I  saw  that  he  was  run- 
ning away  with  me,  but  I  did  not  care  for  that. 
If  he  would  only  take  me  out  of  reach  of  the 
Indians,  and  carry  me  to  the  willows,  where  I 
could  conceal  myself  until  daylight,  he  might 
run  and  welcome.  I  did  not  try  to  stop  him, 
but  somebody  else  did.  I  heard  the  report  of 
a  rifle  close  behind  me,  my  horse  fell  dead  in 
his  tracks,  and  I  went  rolling  along  the  ground 
like  a  ball  from  a  bat.  I  was  badly  hurt,  and 
stunned  by  the  fall,  but  still  I  retained  my 
senses  sufficiently  to  see  that  the  enemy  who 
ha"  unhorsed  me  so  suddenly  was  an  Indian, 
ant.  that  he  was  approaching  to  finish  the  work 
lie  had  begun.  He  came  on  at  a  gallop,  hold- 
ing in  his  hand  a  spear  which  was  pointed 
straight  at  my  breast.  I  gave  myself  up  for 

lost;  but  when  the  spear  was  so  close  to  mfe 
11 


162  FRANK  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS.      . 

that  I  could  have  touched  it,  the  Indian  fell 
forward  in  his  saddle  (he  was  tied  fast  to  it, 
so  that  he  could  not  fall  to  the  ground),  the 
spear  dropped  from  his  grasp,  and  his  horse 
carried  him  away,  dead.  Where  the  bullet 
that  saved  my  life  came  from,  I  could  not  tell. 
It  may  have  been  a  spent  ball ;  or  some  friend 
may  have  seen  my  danger,  and  discharged  his 
rifle  at  the  Indian ;  but  that  was  a  matter  I 
could  not  stop  to  inquire  into.  I  jumped  to 
my  feet,  and  made  the  best  of  my  way  toward 
the  willows,  but  had  not  gone  far  before  I 
found  that  I  had  other  enemies  to  contend  with. 
I  heard  a  shout,  and  saw  a  trapper  running 
toward  me.  I  stopped  when  I  discovered  him, 
for  I  thought  he  was  one  of  those  belonging  to 
Captain  Porter's  expedition,  and  consequently 
a  friend ;  but  when  he  came  within  reach  of 
me  I  found  out  my  mistake.  He  seized  me 
by  the  collar,  and  greeted  me  with : 

"  '  Who  are  you,  boy  ?    What  Js  your  name  ? ' 
" '  I  am  Adam  Brent,'  I  replied,  astonished 
at  his  tone  and  manner. 

" '  Then  you  're  jest  the  chap  I  've  been  a 
lookin'  fur,'  said  he;  and  before  I  crJuld  tell 


TURNING  OUT  A  PANTHER.  *63 

what  he  was  going  to  do,  he  caught  me  up  in 
his  arras  as  if  I  had  been  a  child,  and  plunged 
into  the  willows.  I  did  not  struggle  nor  shout 
for  help,  nor  do  I  believe  I  even  trembled  when, 
after  carrying  me  perhaps  half  a  mile  into  the 
woods,  he  put  me  down  on  a  log,  and,  seating 
himself  beside  me,  coolly  announced  that  he 
was  Black  Bill,  and  that,  having  got  hold  of 
me  at  last,  it  was  his  determination  to  hold 
fast  to  me. 

" '  I  've  been  many  a  long  year  tryin'  to  get 
you,'  said  he,  with  savage  satisfaction,  'an' 
now  I'm  goin'  to  make  a  second  Black  Bill 
of  you.  I  made  that  promise  to  your  father 
more'n  twelve  year  ago,  an'  I  haint  forgot  it. 
When  I  see  you  as  I  have  been — hunted 
through  the  mountains  like  a  wild  beast,  an' 
shot  at  by  every  white  feller  who  crosses  your 
trail,  then  I  '11  be  satisfied.' 

"  I  had  lived  in  fear  of  this  man  from  my 
earliest  boyhood,  and  had  more  than  once  tried 
to  imagine  the  terror  I  should  experience  if  I 
should  ever  be  so  unfortunate  as  to  fall  into 
his  power  ;  but  now  that  I  was  his  prisoner, 
I  was  not  at  all  afraid  of  him.  if  ycur  cousin, 


164  FRANK   IN  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

whom  he  captured  last  night  by  mistake,  had 
been  safe  among  friends,  I  should  have  felt  no 
uneasiness ;  but,  perhaps,  after  all,  it  was  a 
good  thing  for  Archie  that  Black  Bill  carried 
him  to  the  Indian  camp,  for  if  he  had  been  at 
the  fort  during  the  fight,  he  might  not  have 
been  as  fortunate  as  I  was.  A  good  many  of 
our  people  were  cut  down,  and  I  do  n't  sup- 
pose that  more  than  a  dozen  escaped. 

"  After  thinking  over  my  situation,  I  made 
up  my  mind  that  fate  had  destined  me  to  a 
long  captivity  among  the  Indians,  in  compan) 
with  this  outlaw,  and  that  I  would  endure  it 
with  what  fortitude  I  could.  Sometimes,  when 
I  thought  of  the  scenes  I  had  witnessed  during 
that  hand-to-hand  fight,  and  reflected  upon  my 
father's  chances  for  escape,  I  did  not  care  what 
became  of  me.  Black  Bill  said  I  would  never 
see  him  again,  and  I  believed  him  ;  and  told 
myself  that,  if  I  must  live  without  my  father, 
1  might  as  well  be  among  savages  as  anywhere 
else.  But  I  think  differently,  now  that  you 
have  rescued  me.  I  hope  to  be  a  man  some 
day,  and  when  that  time  comes,  such  fellows 
as  Bla<k  Bill  and  his  mates,  wh)  are  con- 


TURNING  OLT  A  PANTHER.  165 

fitantly  spreading  dissatisfaction  among  the  In- 
dians, and  urgihg  them  on  to  the  war-trail, 
will  have  good  cause  to  remember  me.  To 
whom  are  you  making  signals?"  continued 
Adam,  suddenly  raising  himself  on  his  elbow, 
and  looking  earnestly  at  the  outlaw. 

Frank  had  been  so  intent  upon  his  break- 
fast, and  so  deeply  interested  in  his  friend's 
story,  that  he  had  not  thought  of  keeping  a 
lookout  for  enemies;  consequently  he  did  not 
see  the  figure  clad  in  buckskin,  which  crept 
stealthily  through  the  trees  on  the  opposite  side 
of  the  brook,  and  took  up  a  position  behind  a 
huge  bowlder,  from  which  a  good  view  of  the 
camp  could  be  obtained.  But  the  figure  was 
there,  and  it  was  that  of  an  outlaw — one  of 
Black  Bill's  mates.  His  eyes,  which  swept 
rapidly  over  the  camp,  were  open  to  their 
widest  extent,  and  on  his  face,  as  he  raised  it 
cautiously  above  the  bowlder,  was  an  expression 
of  great  astonishment.  Black  Bill  saw  him, 
if  the  boys  did  not;  and,  by  turning  partly 
around  and  showing  his  confined  hands,  and  by 
nodding  his  head,  and  winking  his  eyes,  and 
making  other  mysterious  signs,  he  must  have 


166  IHANK  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

succeeded  in  making  the  spy  understand  the 
situation,  for  he  disappeared  behind  the  bowl- 
der, and  stole  back  into  the  woods. 

"You  were  making  signals  to  somebody," 
exclaimed  Adam,  catching  up  the  outlaw's  *:fle, 
and  casting  suspicious  glances  through  tlie 
trees  around  him. 

"  Makin'  signals  to  the  air,  then,"  replied 
Black  Bill,  sullenly.  "  Thar  aint  nobody  with- 
in miles  of  here  that  I  knows  on." 

But  Adam  had  lived  too  long  on  the  fron- 
tier, and  knew  too  much  about  the  outlaw  to 
be  easily  deceived.  He  had  distinctly  seen  the 
prisoner  nodding  his  head,  and  with  the  quick 
instinct  of  one  who  had  passed  his  life  sur- 
rounded with  foes  of  every  sort,  he  scented 
danger.  Frank  might  have  been  satisfied  with 
Black  Bill's  reply,  and  the  innocent,  surprised 
expression  on  his  face,  but  Adam  was  not.  He 
jumped  to  his  feet,  and  running  across  the 
brook,  looked  up  at  the  top  of  the  cliffs  under 
which  they  had  been  sitting.  As  he  did  so, 
he  passed  behind  the  bowlder  where  the  spy 
had  been  concealed  but  a  moment  before,  and 
there  he  stopped,  and  leaning  carelessly  upon 


TURNING  OUT  A  PANTHER.  167 

the  rock,  said,  in  a  whisper  to  Frank,  who  had 
fallowed  close  at  his  heels: 

"  Do  n't  exhibit  any  surprise,  but  look  down 
at  those  leaves.  Somebody  has  been  here." 

Frank  looked,  but  could  see  nothing  suspi- 
cious. Adam's  trained  eye,  as  keen  as  an  In- 
dian's, had,  at  a  single  glance,  discovered  signs 
of  an  enemy  that  Frank  could  not  have  found 
after  an  hour's  careful  search. 

"  I  may  have  passed  behind  this  rock  when 
I  first  came  to  the  brook,"  said  he. 

"  If  you  did  you  never  left  those  tracks," 
said  Adam.  "  They  were  made  by  moccasins; 
and  you've  got  shoes  on.  They  were  made  by 
a  white  man,  too,  for  the  toes  point  out.  1C  it 
had  been  an  Indian,  the  toes  would  point  in. 
A  friend  of  Black  Bill's  was  here  not  irore 
than  two  minutes  ago ;  and  the  sooner  we  get 
away  from  here  the  better  it  will  be  for  us. 
What  shall  we  do  with  our  prisoner?" 

"Let's  take  him  with  us,  and  compel  Vim 
to  show  us  the  way  to  Fort  Benton,"  replied 
Frank,  astonished  at  his  friend's  skill  in  wood- 
craft, and  at  the  coolness  and  deliberation  Wr*,U 
which  he  spoke. 


168  FRANK   IN  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

"That  would  never  do,"  said  Adam,  quickly. 
"His  friends  will  be  after  us  in  less  than  fiv«? 
minutes,  and  he  would  shout  to  guide  them  in 
the  pursuit.  Besides,  we  are  completely  lost, 
and  how  could  we  tell  whether  or  not  hu  waa 
guiding  us  to  the  fort  ?  He  would  take  us  as 
straight  to  the  Indian  camp  as  he  could  go." 

"  Well,  if  we  leave  him  here  he  will  call  for 
help  the  minute  we  are  out  of  sight." 

"Perhaps  he  will  not  be  able  to  call  for  hel/ 
by  the  time  we  are  done  with  him.  I  '11  tell 
you  what  we  will  do,"  continued  Adam,  glanc 
ing  toward  the  outlaw,  who  still  sat  on  the 
ground,  closely  watching  all  their  movements, 
"  do  you  get  behind  him,  throw  your  arm 
around  his  neck,  and  choke  him  with  all  youi 
power ;  and  I  '11  cram  my  handkerchief  into 
his  mouth.  Then  catch  him  by  the  shoulders, 
and  drag  him  to  that  sapling  and  tie  him  there; 
and  while  you  are  doing  that,  I  will  secure  his 
knife  and  tomahawk,  and  also  his  powder-horn 
and  bullet-pouch.  After  that  we  '11  take  to  our 
heels,  and  do  some  of  the  best  running  we  evei 
did  in  our  lives.  There's  not  a  single  instant 
to  be  lost.  Do  n't  flinch,  now." 


TURNING  OUT  A  PANTHER.  169 

Adam  knew  that  Frank  was  a  renarkably 
swift  runner,  an  excellent  wrestler,  .and  a 
splendid  shot  with  the  rifle;  but  he  had  never 
seen  him  in  a  situation  like  this,  and  he  iid 
not  know  how  cool  and  determined  he  could 
be.  If  he  had,  he  would  not  have  talked  to 
him  about  "  flinching." 

"  Wai,"  exclaimed  the  outlaw,  as  the  boys 
sprang  across  the  brook,  "  seen  any  thing  wuth 
lookin'  at  ?  Did  n't  diskiver  none  of  my  mates 
hangin'  around  in  the  bushes,  did  you?" 

"  We  saw  all  we  wanted  to  see,"  replied 
Adam.  "  We  saw  foot-prints  behind  that 
bowlder,  and  we  know  who  made  them.  That's 
the  way  to  do  it !  Choke  him  till  he  opens 
his  mouth." 

While  Adam  was  occupying  the  outlaw's  at- 
tention, Frank  had  stepped  behind  him,  and 
thrown  his  arm  around  his  neck.  He  struggled 
and  tried  to  shout  for  help ;  but  the  strong 
gra.sp  on  his  throat  rendered  him  powerless, 
and  effectually  stifled  his  cries.  His  under  jaw 
dropped  down,  and  the  handkerchief  which 
Adam  held  ready  in  his  hand,  was  forced  intc 
his  mouth.  A  moment  afterward  Black  Bill 


170  FRANK   IN  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

was  lying  flat  on  his  back,  held  down  by 
Frank's  handkerchief,  which  was  passed  around 
his  neck  and  tied  to  the  sapling  of  which  Adam 
had  spoken,  and  the  boys,  having  possessed 
themselves  of  their  weapons,  and  the  outlaw's 
ammunition,  were  scrambling  up  the  cliff  like 
a  couple  of  goats.  They  looked  back  now  and 
then  to  satisfy  themselves  that  their  prisoner 
was  still  secure,  and  both  told  themselves  that 
if  they  should  be  so  unfortunate  as  to  again 
fall  into  his  power,  their  treatment  would  be 
very  different  from  that  which  they  had  al- 
ready received  at  his  hands.  Black  Bill  seemed 
almost  beside  himself  with  rage.  He  glared 
up  at  them  like  a  madman,  and  made  the  most 
desperate  attempts  to  free  himself  from  his 
bonds;  but  the  boys,  although  they  had  done 
their  work  quickly,  had  done  it  well,  and  as 
long  as  they  remained  in  sight  of  the  outlaw, 
he  had  accomplished  nothing  toward  liberating 
himself. 

Ariiving  at  the  top  of  the  cliff,  Adam  shoul- 
dered his  rifle,  and  sprang  forward  at  the  top 
of  his  speed,  closely  followed  by  Frank,  who 
stepped  as  nearly  as  possible  in  his  tracks. 


TURNING  OUT  A  PANTHER.  171 

For  nearly  half  an  hour  they  flew  along  with- 
out speaking,  turning  their  heads  occasionally 
to  listen  for  sounds  of  pursuit,  making  use  of 
all  their  skill  to  render  their  trail  as  indistinct 
as  possible,  and  finally  they  slackened  their 
pace  to  a  rapid  walk,  which  they  kept  up  for 
two  hours  longer  without  once  stopping  to  rest. 
At  the  end  of  that  time,  Frank,  being  satisfied 
that  they  were  out  of  danger  for  the  present, 
proposed  "half  an  hour  for  refreshments."  The 
half  hour  was  really  not  more  than  ten  min- 
utes, for  the  boys  were  so  much  afraid  of  the 
enemies  who  they  knew  were  following  them, 
that  _they  regarded  every  instant  spent  in  need- 
ful repose  as  so  much  time  wasted.  Their  re- 
freshments consisted  of  just  nothing  at  all — not 
even  a  drop  of  water  to  cool  their  lips.  They 
could  not  stop  to  cook  a  dinner,  even  if  they 
had  had  any  thing  to  cook ;  and  after  a  very  short 
rest,  during  which  they  talked  over  their  situa- 
tion, and  tried  to  determine  upon  their  plans 
for  the  future,  they  sprang  up,  and  resumed 
their  flight,  Adam,  as  before,  leading  the  way. 
The  ovtlaw  had  told  his  nephew  that  Fort 
Beiiton,  which  was  the  nearest  trading-post, 


172  FRANK  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

and  the  place  to  which  all  the  trappers  and 
soldiers  who  escaped  the  massacre  would  be 
likely  to  direct  their  course,  was  a  hundred 
miles  distant ;  and  the  boys  had  decided,  after 
much  debate,  that  it  lay  nearly  due  east  of 
Fort  Stockton.  A  hundred  miles  from  the 
nearest  place  of  refuge,  in  the  heart  of  an  un- 
broken wilderness,  every  step  of  the  way  they 
must  travel  beset  with  dangers,  and  their  path 
waylaid  by  crafty  foes  who  might  spring  out 
on  them  without  an  instant's  warning  !  Twen- 
ty miles  of  mountains  and  ravines  to  be  passed 
over,  and  eighty  miles  more  of  prairie,  where 
there  was  not  even  a  thicket  of  bushes  to  afford 
them  concealment  from  their  enemies,  to  be 
traversed  on  foot!  Would  they  ever  succeed 
in  reaching  the  fort? 

"  It  looks  like  a  slim  chance,  does  n't  it? ''  said 
Adam,  who  easily  read  the  thoughts  that  were 
passing  through  Frank's  mind.  "But  father 
used  to  tell  me  that  a  fellow  never  knows  how 
much  he  can  accomplish  until  he  tries.  We 
will  do  the  best  we  can,  and  if  we  fail  we  shall 
have  the  satisfaction  of  knowing  that  it  isn't 
our  fault." 


TURNING  OUT  A   PANTHER.  173 

Frank's  endurance  was  severely  tested  that 
day.  He  found  that  traveling  through  the 
mountains  on  foot  was  something  besides  a 
holiday  pastime,  especially  with  such  a  guide 
as  Adam,  who  moved  along  without  any  ap- 
parent effort,  threading  his  way  through  the 
thick,  tangled  bushes  with  a  celerity  that  was 
surprising.  The  afternoon  wore  slowly  away, 
and  just  as  the  sun  was  sinking  out  of  sight 
behind  the  mountains,  the  boys,  weary  and 
footsore,  halted  in  the  edge  of  the  willows,  and 
looked  out  over  the  prairie  which  stretched 
away  before  them  as  far  as  their  eyes  could 
reach.  Adam  stood  for  a  long  time  with  his 
chin  resting  on  the  muzzle  of  his  rifle,  and  his 
gaze  fixed  upon  the  horizon,  thinking  of  his 
father  and  Captain  Porter,  and  wondering  if 
he  should  meet  them  if  he  succeeded  in  reach- 
ing the  fort;  while  Frank,  after  satisfying 
himself  that  there  were  no  Indians  in  sight, 
became  interested  in  objects  in  his  immediate 
vicinity.  He  thought  the  place  looked  famil- 
iar. There  was  a  wide,  shallow  creek  flowing 
through  the  ravine  in  which  they  were  standing, 
and  on  its  left  bank  arose  a  rocky  cliff,  which 


174  FRANK  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

hung  over  the  bed  of  the  stream.  Under  the 
branches  of  a  spreading  oak  which  grew  near 
the  foot  of  the  cliff,  were  the  remains  of  a  camp- 
fire;  and  a  little  farther  on  was  a  sapling  which 
had  been  stripped  of  its  bark.  Frank  remem- 
bered that  sapling.  It  was  the  one  to  which 
Roderick  had  been  tied  when  the  trappers  first 
brought  him  into  camp.  The  horse  was  wild 
and  vicious  then,  and  after  trying  in  vain  to 
break  the  lasso  with  which  he  was  confined, 
he  had  attacked  the  tree  with  his  teeth,  and 
peeled  off  the  bark  as  neatly  as  it  could  have 
been  done  with  a  knife. 

"  \Ve  have  accomplished  the  hardest  part  of 
our  journey,"  said  Adam,  his  gaze  still  wander- 
ing over  the  prairie  in  the  direction  he  sup- 
posed the  trading-post  to  be,  "  and  now  comes 
the  dangerous  part.  If  what  father  said  about 
a  general  rising  of  the  Indians  was  correct,  the 
savages  are  scattered  all  over  the  plains  between 
hers  and  the  fort;  and  if  we  get  through,  it 
wiL  be  more  by  good  luck  than  good  manage- 
ment. Do  you  see  any  thing?" 

"Yes,  I  do,"  said  Frank;  "I  see  plenty  of 
old  friends.  I  know  every  stick  of  timber  about 


TURNING  OUT  A  PANTHER.  175 

here,  for  I  passed  three  of  the  pleasantest  weeks 
of  my  life  in  this  very  ravine.  You  have  heard 
Dick  and  Bob  speak  of  the  Old  Bear's  Hole, 
haven't  you?  Come  with  me,  and  I  will  show 
it  to  you." 

Frank  crossed  the  creek  and  began  pulling 
aside  the  bushes  at  the  base  of  the  cliff,  search- 
ing for  the  entrance  to  the  cave.  Dick  had 
told  him  that  more  than  one  sharp-eyed  Coman- 
che  had  looked  for  it  in  vain,  and  for  a  long 
time  Frank  thought  he  should  meet  with  no 
better  success;  but  at  last  he  discovered  the 
entrance  by  stepping  into  it  accidentally.  The 
mouth  of  the  passage  was  filled  with  leaves, 
which  had  effectually  concealed  it  from  his 
view. 

"The  cave  must  be  a  mile  or  two  below, 
isn't  it?"  asked  Adam,  gazing  dubiously  at  the 
dark  opening. 

"No;  it  is  above  ground  altogether,  and  is 
inside  this  rock,"  replied  Frank,  pointing  to 
the  cliff.  "But  the  question  is,  Shall  we  use 
it,  now  that  we  have  found  it?  Do  you  sup- 
pose that  Black  Bill  and  his  friends  are  in 
pursuit  of  us  ?  " 


176  FRANK  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

"  Of  course  they  are.  They  won't  give  us  up 
so  easily." 

"But  we  have  taken  a  great  deal  of  pains  to 
conceal  our  trail,  and  they  may  not  be  able  to 
follow  it." 

"  Do  n't  you  believe  it,"  replied  Adam,  7?ith 
a  laugh.  "  Those  men's  eyes  are  as  sharp  as  a 
hound's  nose.  If  they  can  track  an  Indian  when 
he  is  doing  his  best  to  cover  up  his  trail,  they 
can  surely  follow  us.  We  are  not  done  with 
them  yet." 

"  Then  I  propose  that  we  sleep  in  the  Old 
Bear's  Hole.  I  can't  travel  any  farther  to- 
night, and  I  should  feel  much  safer  in  the  cave 
than  I  should  if  we  camped  in  the  open  air. 
We  can't  get  along  without  some  supper,  and 
we  must  have  a  fire  to  cook  it;  and  that  might 
attract  the  attention  of  the  outlaws  if  they 
should  happen  to  be  in  the  neighborhood." 

The  matter  was  settled  without  any  further 
debate,  and  the  boys  began  to  busy  themselves 
in  collecting  a  supply  of  pine-knots  to  serve  as 
torches.  This  done,  Adam  lighted  one  of  them 
with  his  flint  and  steel,  and  handed  it  to  Frank, 
who  backed  down  into  the  opening;  but,  to 


TUENING  OUT  A  PAXTHER.  177 

his  friend's  surprise,  he  came  out  of  it  again 
much  more  quickly  than  he  had  gone  in. 

"  I  have  just  thought  of  something,"  said  he, 
in  reply  to  Adam's  inquiring  look.  "The  first 
night  we  camped  here,  while  we  were  on  our 
way  to  California,  Dick  Lewis  went  into  the 
cave  and  found  that  a  grizzly  bear  had  taken 
possession  of  it.  He  had  a  terrible  fight  with 
the  animal,  and  was  so  badly  clawed  up  that  his 
most  intimate  friend  would  not  have  recognized 
him.  There  may  be  a  bear  in  there  now  for  all 
we  know." 

" That's  so,"  said  Adam.  "Must  we  give 
up  the  idea  of  sleeping  in  the  cave?" 

"  Not  yet.  Dick  and  Bob,  who  spent  many 
a  day  here  hiding  from  the  Indians,  were  old 
foxes,  and  had  two  holes  to  their  burrow. 
Come  with  me,  and  I  will  show  you  the  other." 

Frank  led  the  way  to  the  top  of  the  cliff, 
and,  after  a  short  search,  discovered  the  en- 
trance to  the  upper  passage-way.  He  was  not 
greatly  encouraged  when  he  found  it,  for  he  saw 
that  a  path,  hard  and  well  beaten  as  any  road, 
led  from  it  down  the  side  of  the  cliff.  Then 
be  blessed  his  lucky  stars  that  he  had  not  gone 
12 


178  FRANK  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

into  the  cave.  It  had  an  occupant,  the  char- 
acter of  which  was  proved  by  the  bones  that 
lay  scattered  about  on  both  sides  of  the  path. 
It  was  some  ravenous  beast  of  prey,  which 
probably  would  not  feel  disposed  to  abandon  his 
Buug  quarters  without  a  fight.  Adam  kneeled 
down  beside  the  passage-way,  and,  after  a  single 
glance  into  the. cave,  sprang  up  and  threw  his 
rifle  forward  in  readiness  to  shoot.  Frank 
looked  in  and  saw  a  pair  of  eyes,  which  shone 
like  coals  of  fire,  glaring  at  him  through  the 
darkness. 

"  It  is  n't  a  grizzly,"  said  Adam,  "  but  some- 
thing almost  as  bad.  It 's  a  panther.  He 
must  come  out  of  there,  too,"  he  added,  pull- 
ing off  his  hat  and  digging  his  fingers  into  his 
head  to  stir  up  his  ideas.  "That  cave  is  the 
only  safe  place  we  can  find,  and  we  must  have 
it,  whether  he  is  willing  or  not." 

"Hand  me  your  rifle,"  said  Frank;  "I'll 
fix  him." 

"  Not  for  the  world,"  replied  Adam,  quiokl) . 
"You  must  remember  that  we  have  enemies 
not  a  great  way  off,  and  that  it  stands  us  well 
in  hand  to  be  quiet  about  what  we  do.  Be- 


TURNING  OUT  A    PANTHER.  179 

sides,  there  may  be  a  whole  family  of  panthers 
iii  there,  and  if  you  should  wound  one  of  them, 
we'd  have  a  fight  on  our  hands  directly.  I  know 
how  to  manage  him.  Take  this  rifle  and  climb 
up  into  that  tree,  and  when  he  comes  out  tell 
me." 

Frank  did  as  his  companion  requested.  He 
mounted  into  the  topmost  branches  of  the  tree, 
and,  after  settling  himself  into  a  comfortable 
position,  from  which  he  could  watch  the  mouth 
of  the  passage-way,  he  turned  to  observe  Adam's 
movements.  He  saw  him,  with  a  long  stick  in 
his  hand,  kneeling  before  the  opening  at  the 
foot  of  the  cliff,  engaged  in  pushing  a  quantity 
of  dried  leaves  and  pine-knots  into  the  passage- 
way. Then  his  plan  was  clear  enough  to  Frank  : 
he  was  going  to  smoke  the  panther  out. 

Adam  worked  steadily  for  half  an  hour,  and 
then  Frank,  seeing  him  take  his  flint  and  steel 
from  his  pocket,  turned  his  attention  to  the 
passage-way  at  the  top  of  the  hill.  There  was 
draught  sufficient  to  make  the  fire  burn  well,  and 
presently  Frank  heard  a  great  roaring  and 
crackling  in  the  cave,  and  a  thin  wreath  of 
smoke  came  curling  out.  With  the  smoke  came 


180  FRANK   IN  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

the  panther,  which  was  evidently  very  much 
alarmed  by  this  unexpected  assault  upon  his 
home,  for  he  flew  down  the  path  like  a  flash  of 
light,  and  speedily  disappeared  in  the  bushes. 
Adam's  plan  had  worked  to  perfection.  The 
Old  Bear's  Hole  had  been  cleared  of  its  dan- 
gerous occupant,  and  the  boys  were  at  liberty 
to  take  possession  of  it. 


FRANK  IN  SEAECH  OF  HIS  SUPPEB.  18J 


CHAPTER  XL 

FRANK  IN  SEARCH  OF  HIS   StiPPER. 

"TIE'S  out!"  shouted  Frank,  scrambling 
down  out  of  his  tree. 

"  I  thought  I  could  manage  him,"  said 
Adam.  "Don't  you  think  my  plan  was  the 
best?  But  I  say,  Frank,"  he  added,  as  he 
joined  our  hero  at  the  top  of  the  hill,  "we 
must  fire  the  rifle  once,  at  least,  for  we  want 
some  supper." 

"  If  we  could  use  a  bow  and  arrow  as  well  a? 
the  Black  Fox,  we  would  not  need  the  rifle. 
Now,  one  of  us  had  better  stay  here,  and  build 
a  fire  in  the  cave,  and  gather  a  supply  of  wood 
for  the  night,  while  the  other  goes  out  and 
knocks  over  a  big-horn.  The  mountains  about 
here  are  full  of  them." 

"Well,  seeing  that  you  are  the  best  shot, 
perhaps  you  had  better  go  to  market.  By  the 


182  FRANK  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

time  you  get  back,  I  will  have  every  Ihing 
ready.  You  are  not  afraid  to  go?" 

No,  Frank  was  not  afraid,  but  still  he  <Ld  not 
like  the  idea  of  wandering  off  alone  among  those 
mountains.  He  would  have  felt  much  more  at 
his  ease  if  the  big-horn  had  already  been  killed, 
and  was  ready  for  the  spit.  Besides  the  dan- 
ger of  getting  lost,  there  were  the  outlaws,  who 
might  hear  the  report  of  his  rifle,  and  pounce 
down  upon  him  before  he  could  secure  his  game 
and  make  good  his  retreat  to  the  cave.  He  and 
his  companion  might  have  gone  without  their 
suppers  for  that  night  without  serious  incon- 
venience, but  they  were  still  eighty  miles  from 
Fort  Benton,  and,  while  they  were  traveling 
across  the  prairie,  they  might  not  find  any  thing 
to  shoot,  for  the  Indians  had  doubtless  fright- 
ened away  all  the  game.  If  Frank  succeeded 
in  killing  a  big-horn,  it  was  their  intention  to 
cook  it  all,  and  carry  with  them  a  supply  of 
the  meat  sufficient  to  last  them  until  they 
reached  the  fort. 

Adam  began  looking  about  for  dry  wood 
with  which  to  start  the  fire  in  the  cave,  and 
Frank  shouldered  his  rifle  and  started  down  the 


FRANK  IN  SEARCH  OF  HIS  SUPPER.      183 

cliff.  He  followed  the  same  course  which  he, 
and  Archie,  and  the  trapper  had  pursued  on  a 
former  occasion,  when  they  went  out  to  hunt 
big-horns,  and  presently  found  himself  in  the 
ravine  in  which  his  cousin  had  met  with  his 
first  adventure  with  a  grizzly.  Dick  had  once 
told  him  that  if  the  trees  in  that  ravine  could 
speak,  they  could  relate  many  a  thrilling  story 
about  him  and  Bill  Lawson;  and  Frank  thought 
that,  if  they  could  find  tongues  now,  they  might 
have  something  to  say  concerning  himself  that 
would  prove  interesting. 

The  deer-path  which  Frank  was  following 
ran  through  the  ravine  for  about  half  a  mile, 
and  then  led  down  the  side  of  a  precipitous 
cliff,  and  terminated  on  a  rocky  ledge,  perhaps 
twenty-five  feet  square,  in  the  center  of  which 
was  a  spring  of  water.  When  Frank  reached 
the  edge  of  this  cliff,  he  looked  over  it  very 
cautiously,  and  was  gratified  to  see,  about  a 
hundred  feet  below  him,  a  noble  elk,  with  wide- 
spreading  antlers,  drinking* from  the  spring. 

'  Our  supper  is  all  right,"  soliloquized  the 
young  hunter,  after  he  had  taken  a  good  sur- 
vey of  the  ledge,  and  calculated  the  animal's 


184  FRANK   IN  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

chances  for  escape  in  case  he  failed  to  disable 
him  at  the  first  shot.  "  That  ledge  juts  out  into 
a  gorg«  which  is  much  too  wide  for  any  deer 
to  jump.  If  he  tries  it,  I  am  sure  of  him,  for 
he  wiJ  fall  on  the  rocks  and  be  killed.  He 
can't  scale  the  cliff,  unless  he  comes  up  the 
path ;  and,  if  he  tries  that,  I  '11  be  here  to  stop 
him." 

Frank  did  not  usually  spend  as  many  min- 
utes in  getting  ready  for  a  shot  as  he  did  on 
this  particular  evening.  On  ordinary  occasions, 
his  rifle  was  at  his  shoulder  the  instant  the 
game  appeared  in  sight;  and  one  quick  glance 
along  the  barrel  made  him  sure  of  his  aim. 
But  this  was  not  an  ordinary  occasion.  He  was 
working  for  his  supper  now,  there  were  enemies 
all  around  him,  and  it  was  rapidly  growing 
dark.  He  must  kill  the  elk  at  the  first  shot, 
secure  a  portion  of  it  (the  animal  was  so  large 
and  heavy  he  knew  he  could  not  carry  it  all), 
and  make  his  way  back  to  the  Old  Bear's  Hole 
without  the  loss  of  a  single  minute.  He  raised 
his  rifle  and  took  a  long  and  deliberate  aim  at 
the  buck,  and  just  then  the  animal  bounded 
across  the  spring  and  came  leisurely  up  the 


FRANK   IN  SEARCH  OP   HIS  SUPPER.       185 

path.  For  a  single  second  his  breast  presented 
a  fair  mark;  but  that  second  was  long  enough 
for  Frank.  The  rifle  cracked  sharply,  and  the 
elk,  turning  in  his  tracks,  made  one  tremen- 
dous bound,  and,  leaping  clear  across  the  ledge, 
disappeared  among  the  trees  which  lined  the 
sides  of  the  gorge.  Frank's  supper  was  not  all 
right,  after  all. 

"Now  just  look  at  that !  "  he  exclaimed,  in  a 
tone  of  great  disappointment.  "  When  one  is 
in  a  hurry,  something  always  happens  to  trouble 
him.  The  deer  is  dead  enough,  but  what  good 
will  he  do  me  as  long  as  he  lies  at  the  bottom 
of  the  gully  ?  " 

As  Frank  said  this,  he  jumped  to  his  feet, 
and,  running  down  the  path,  looked  over  the 
ledge.  The  bushes  were  so  thick  that  he  could 
not  see  the  bottom  of  the  gorge;  but  there 
were  drops  of  blood  on  the  leaves,  and  Frank 
knew  that  the  fall  had  proved  fatal  to  the  buck, 
even  if  the  shot  had  not.  What  plan  (y>uld  he 
contrive  to  descend  into  the  ravine  \*as  the 
question  that  troubled  him  now ;  and  H  was 
one  that  was  asked  and  answered  almost  in  the 
same  breath.  He  chanced  to  look  toward  the 


186  FRANK   IN  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

top  of  the  cliff,  and  was  frightened  nearly  out 
of  his  senses  when  he  discovered  two  Indians 
advancing  toward  him  with  stealthy  footsteps. 
He  was  now  in  the  same  situation  in  which  the 
elk  had  been  but  a  moment  before,  with  this 
slight  difference  :  He  was  conscious  of  the  pres- 
ence of  his  enemies,  while  the  first  intimation 
of  danger  the  buck  had  was,  receiving  the  ball 
in  his  breast.  There  was  no  place  of  conceal- 
ment on  the  ledge,  and  he  had  his  choice  be- 
tween two  courses  of  action  :  One  was  to  ascend 
the  path  in  the  face  of  the  Indians,  and  the  other 
to  jump  over  into  the  ravine.  He  was  not  long 
in  coming  to  a  decision.  He  took  a  single 
glance  at  the  Indians,  and,  seeing  that  one  of 
them  was  in  the  act  of  raising  his  gun  to  take 
aim  at  him,  he  tightened  his  grasp  on  his  rifle, 
which  he  held  in  his  left  hand,  and  seizing  with 
his  right  the  bushes  that  grew  on  the  edge  of 
the  precipice,  he  fearlessly  threw  himself  into 
the  gorge,  while  the  bullet  that  was  intended 
for  him  sped  harmlessly  through  the  empty  air. 
The  Indian  was  just  a  moment  too  late. 

Both  savages  uttered  loud  yells  of  astonish- 
ment as  they  witnessed  this  act  of  desperation, 


FRANK  IN  SEARCH  OF  HIS  SUPPER.      187 

and,  bounding  swiftly  down  the  path,  they 
leaned  over  the  rocks  to  see  what  had  become 
of  the  reckless  young  hunter.  The  bushes,  by 
the  aid  of  which  he  had  swung  himself  over 
the  precipice,  sprang  back  to  their  place,  but 
Frank  was  nowhere  to  be  seen.  The  Indians 
thought,  no  doubt,  that  he  had  paid  for  his 
temerity  with  his  life,  and  that  he  was  lying 
mangled  and  bleeding  at  the  bottom  of  the 
gorge ;  but  could  they  have  looked  under  the 
overhanging  rock  on  which  they  were  kneeling, 
they  would  have  seen  him  standing  erect  and 
unharmed  about  ten  feet  below  them,  wTith  his 
rifle  clubbed,  ready  to  strike  the  first  of  his 
foes  who  came  in  sight.  His  attempt  at  escape 
was  not  so  reckless  as  the  Indians  imagined  it 
to  be.  While  standing  on  the  ledge,  he  noticed 
that  the  branches  of  a  tree,  which  grew  at  the 
bottom  of  the  ravine,  extended  almost  to  the 
top  of  the  precipice,  and  he  thought  he  could 
jump  into  them  with  perfect  safety.  Still  he 
hesitated  to  try  it,  until  he  discovered  the  In- 
dians, and  then  he  found  that  he  had  no  al- 
ternative. To  assist  him  in  his  descent,  and  to 
render  the  attempt  less  hazardous,  he  made  use 


188  FRANK  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

of  the  bushes,  which,  contrary  to  his  calcula- 
tions, swung  with  him  far  below  the  top  of  the 
tree,  and  out  of  reach  of  it.  This  proved,  how- 
ever, to  be  a  point  in  his  favor;  for,  to  his 
great  surprise  and  delight,  he  landed  on  a  broad, 
flat  rock,  which  was  effectually  concealed  from 
the  view  of  the  Indians  by  the  overhanging 
cliff.  It  seemed  as  if  this  way  of  escape  had 
been  prepared  expressly  for  him.  If  he  had 
built  the  cliff  himself  lie  could  not  have  devised 
a  better  hiding-place.  His  enemies,  even  if 
they  discovered  him,  could  not  climb  up  to  him 
from  the  bottom  of  the  cliff,  for  it  was  so  steep 
that  a  mountain-goat  could  scarcely  have  found 
footing  thereon;  and  if  they  descended  to  him 
from  above,  he  would  shoot  the  first  one  who 
came  in  sight. 

"  I  am  all  right  yet,"  thought  the  young 
hunter,  drawing  a  long  breath  of  relief,  and  feel- 
ing for  his  powder-horn.  "  There  is  only  one 
way  in  which  the  Indians  can  get  the  better  of 
me,  and  that  is  by  starving  me  out.  Adam 
must  go  without  his  supper  to-night,  for  I  have 
business  on  my  hands  that  will " 

Frank  paused  in  his  soliloquy,  and  his  face 


FRANK  IN  SEARCH  OF  HIS  SUPPER.      189 

once  more  grew  pale  with  terror.  He  could 
find  no  ammunition  for  his  rifle.  When  Adam 
removed  the  powder-horn  and  bullet -pouch 
from  the  person  of  the  outlaw,  he  had  thrown 
them  over  his  own  shoulders,  and  there  they 
flrere  now.  Frank  had  left  his  companion 
without  thinking  to  ask  for  them.  He  was  in 
something  of  a  predicament,  standing,  as  he  was, 
almost  within  reach  of  two  hostile  Indians,  and 
without  even  a  charge  of  powder  or  a  bullet 
for  his  rifle.  A  movement  at  the  top  of  the 
cliif  drew  his  thoughts  from  himself  to  his 
enemies.  They  leaned  over  the  precipice  and 
conversed  earnestly  for  a  few  minutes,  and  then 
one  of  them  sprang  into  the  air  and  landed  in 
the  branches  of  the  tree.  Fortunately  his  back 
was  turned  toward  Frank,  and  this  gave  the 
latter  an  opportunity  to  conceal  himself,  which 
he  quickly  did.  The  savage,  little  dreaming 
that  the  object  of  his  search  was  so  near  to 
him,  descended  the  tree  and  disappeared  among 
the  bushes  which  lined  the  sides  of  the  gorge. 

While  Frank  was  waiting  to  see  what  the 
other  Indian  was  going  to  do,  he  was  sure  that 
he  heard  the  sound  of  a  desperate  struggle  at 


190  FRANK  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

the  bottom  of  the  ravine.  It  continued  but  a 
moment,  and  then  all  was  still  again.  He 
might  have  been  mistaken  in  this,  but  still  lie 
was  certain  that  something  had  happened  do^  n 
there,  and  so  was  the  Indian,  who,  after  wait- 
ing nearly  ten  minutes  for  the  report  of  his 
companion,  uttered  some  words  in  the  Indian 
tongue.  An  answer  came  from  below,  and  the 
savage  sprang  into  the  tree  and  quickly  de- 
scended to  the  bottom  of  the  gorge.  Frank 
thought  he  had  gone  down  to  assist  in  cutting 
up  the  buck;  but  if  that  was  his  intention,  he 
did  not  carry  it  out.  His  companion  had  been 
tomahawked  the  moment  he  reached  the  foot 
of  the  tree,  and  a  like  fate  was  in  store  for  him. 
Two  trappers,  one  of  them  in  the  disguise  of 
an  Indian,  were  concealed  among  the  bushes  in 
the  ravine,  awaiting  his  appearance.  The  wary 
savage,  always  on  the  lookout  for  danger,  dis- 
covered his  foes,  but  just  a  moment  too  late. 
The  report  of  a  rifle  rang  through  the  mount- 
ains, and  the  Indian,  falling  headlong  to  the 
ground,  was  instantly  pounced  up  by  the  trap- 
pers, and  dispatched  as  if  he  had  been  a  rabid 
wolfe.  Frank's  ears  told  him  what  had  been 


FKANK  IN  SEARCH  OF  HIS  SUPPER.   191 

going  on,  and  his  heart  beat  high  with  hope. 
Friends  were  near,  and  he  was  certain  that  he 
knew  who  they  were.  Without  stopping  to 
consider  that  there  might  be  more  Indians  in 
the  vicinity,  who  would  be  attracted  by  the 
sound  of  his  voice,  he  called  out:  "Dick 
Lewis ! " 

There  was  silence  for  a  moment,  and  then 
came  the  reply :  "  Show  yourself,  you  keerless 
feller!" 

Frank,  too  overjoyed  to  speak  again,  was  on 
his  feet  in  an  instant,  and  preparing  to  descend 
into  the  ravine.  There  was  but  one  way  to 
accomplish  this,  and  that  was  to  spring  into 
the  tree.  It  was  a  long  jump  from  where  he 
stood,  and,  if  he  failed  to  catch  one  of  the  limbs, 
or  if  it  proved  too  weak  to  sustain  his  weight, 
he  would  fall  forty  or  fifty  feet.  But  Frank 
did  not  stop  to  think  of  this.  Grasping  his 
rifle  tightly  in  one  hand,  he  sprang  into  the  air, 
and  by  the  aid  of  a  friendly  branch,  swung 
down  to  the  body  of  the  tree  in  safety.  In  ;\ 
moment  more  he  was  standing  between  Dick 
and  Bob,  who  were  wringing  his  hands  with  an 
energy  that  brought  the  tears  to  his  eyes. 


192  FRANK  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

But  little  time  was  wasted  in  explanations. 
Frank  told  the  trappers  that  he  had  left  Adam 
at  t'ae  Old  Bear's  Hole,  and  that  he  had  come 
out  in  search  of  his  supper;  and  Dick  told 
him  that  he  and  Bob  were  traveling  through 
the  ravine,  on  their  way  to  the  cave,  when  they 
heard  the  report  of  the  rifle  and  saw  the  buck 
fall  over  the  precipice.  They  also  heard  the 
voices  of  the  Indians  on  the  cliff,  and,  suppos- 
ing that  they  owned  the  game,  and  that  they 
would  be  likely  to  descend  into  the  ravine  to 
secure  it,  they  concealed  themselves  in  the 
bushes  to  await  their  appearance.  The  first 
savage  who  came  down  the  tree  was  easily  over- 
powered; and  when  his  companion  called  out: 
"Do  you  see  any  thing  of  the  white  man?" 
(that  was  the  first  intimation  the  trappers  had 
that  there  was  a  white  hunter  about)  Dick  re- 
plied:  "Yes;  he's  here,  but  I  can't  get  at 
him."  "That  brought  the  Injun  down,  you 
see,"  said  the  latter,  in  conclusion,  "an'  when  he 
come  in  sight,  we  sent  him  where  he'll  never  get 
u  chance  to  attack  any  more  peaceable  tnulin'- 
posts,  I  '11  bet  a  hoss.  Fetch  along  the  mustang, 
Bob,  an'  we  '11  start  for  the  Ole  Bar's  Holfc." 


FRANK  IN  SEARCH  OF  HIS  SUPPER.      193 

The  horse  was  brought  up,  and  Frank  fairly 
danced  with  delight  when  he  found  that  it  was 
Roderick.  The  animal  recognized  his  master, 
and  answered  his  caresses  by  rubbing  his  head 
against  his  shoulder.  Frank  sprang  upon  his 
back,  and  the  trappers,  after  they  had  raised 
the  elk  from  the  ground  and  placed  it  before 
him,  led  the  way  toward  the  cave.  It  was  quite 
dark  when  they  arrived  within  sight  of  it,  but 
Dick  knew  in  an  instant  that  there  was  sonpe- 
thing  wrong;  and  so  did  Bob,  who  placed  his 
hand  on  his  companion's  shoulder  and  pointed 
toward  the  top  of  the  cliff. 

"  My  eyes  aint  as  good  as  they  used  to  be," 
said  he,  "but  if  that  aint  an  Injun  up  thar, 
I  never  seed  one." 

"An'  if  that  aint  one  of  Black  Bill's  mates 
standin'  at  the  foot  of  the  cliff,  may  I  be  shot!" 
added  Dick. 

"Then  they  've  tracked  us,  after  all  the  trouble 
we  took  to  throw  them  off  our  trail ! "  whispered 
Frank,  in  great  excitement.  "Who  knows  but 
that  they  have  captured  Adam  ?  " 

"  If  they  have,  we  '11  soon  turn  him  loose," 
replied  Dick.  "  Now,  youngster,  you  dtay  here, 
33 


194  FKANK  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

an'  me  an'  Bob  will  creep  up  an'  take  a  look  at 
tilings.  If  thar  aint  nobody  in  the  cave  ex- 
cept Black  Bill  an'  his  friends,  we  '11  clean  'em 
out  in  a  hurry.  We've  got  a  long  account  to 
settle  with  one  of  them  fellers,  an'  this  is  jest 
the  time  to  do  it." 

The  trappers  stole  off  in  the  darkness,  and 
Frank  sat  on  his  horse  and  awaited  the  issue  of 
events  with  feelings  that  can  not  be  described. 
He  saw  Dick  and  Bob  creep  noiselessly  upon 
the  outlaw  who  stood  at  the  foot  of  the  cliff, 
and  seize,  gag,  and  bind  him;  and  so  silently 
was  the  whole  operation  performed,  in  spite  of 
the  man's  furious  struggles,  that  he  did  not  hear 
even  a  leaf  rustle.  One  enemy  had  been  dis- 
posed of;  but  there  were  still  three  others,  be- 
sides the  Indian,  to  be  overcome. 

"  If  I  had  a  load  for  my  rifle  I  would  n't  sit 
here  long,"  said  Frank,  to  himself.  "I  know 
there  will  be  a  desperate  fight  in  that  cave  if 
Black  Bill  is  there,  and  perhaps  just  one  bullet 
may  be  needed  to  decide  the  battle  in  our  favor. 
What  in  the  world  was  that?" 

A  thin  sheet  of  flame,  followed  by  a  dense 
volume  of  smoke,  suddenly  arose  from  the 


FRANK  IN  SEARCH  OF  HIS  SUPPER.      195 

mouth  of  the  upper  passage-way.  The  momeut's 
silence  that  succeeded  was  broken  by  cries  of 
paii.  and  loud  yells  of  anger,  and  through  the 
gmoke,  which  settled  like  a  cloud  over  the  cliff, 
the  Indian  appeared,  running  at  the  top  of  hia 
speed,  as  if  badly  frightened  at  something,  and 
directing  his  course  toward  a  thicket  of  bushes 
at  the  opposite  side  of  the  ravine.  The  thought 
that  it  was  the  Black  Fox  had  scarcely  passed 
through  Frank's  mind  when  he  discovered  that 
there  were  two  horses  tied  to  the  bushes,  and 
that  the  Indian  was  running  toward  them, 
evidently  with  the  intention  of  mounting  one 
of  them  and  making  good  his  escape.  Frank 
leaned  forward  to  obtain  a  better  view  of  the 
animals,  and,  in  a  moment  more,  the  elk  had 
been  pitched  to  the  ground,  and  Roderick  was 
flying  down  the  ravine  with  the  speed  of  the 
wind. 

"  Stop,  you  Black  Fox ! "  shouted  Frank, 
swinging  his  rifle  around  his  head  and  giving 
vent  to  a  yell  that  awoke  the  echoes  far  and 
near.  "  I  've  got  something  to  say  about  this 
business." 

One  of  the  horses  was  Pete,  and  the  other 


196  FRANK  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

was  King  James.  While  Roderick  had  been 
faithfully  serving  the  trappers — he  had  carried 
Dick  Lewis  through  that  desperate  hand-to- 
hand  fight  at  the  fort,  and,  like  him,  escaped 
v  ithout  a  single  injury — his  swift  rival  had 
been  equally  faithful  to  one  of  the  outlaws. 
Black  Bill  had  captured  him  from  one  of  the 
soldiers  during  the  fight,  and,  recognizing 
Dick's  massive  form  among  the  struggling 
horsemen,  he  had  made  every  exertion  to  come 
to  close  quarters  with  him.  Roderick  moved 
so  swiftly,  however,  that  tlie  black  could  not 
overtake  him ;  and  perhaps  that  was  a  fortu- 
nate thing  for  the  outlaw,  if  he  had  only  known 
it.  While  Dick  was  cutting  his  way  through 
the  ranks  of  the  Indians,  he  was  keeping  a 
bright  lookout  for  Black  Bill,  and  if  he  could 
have  found  him,  and  brought  him  within  reach 
of  the  cavalry  saber  which  he  was  wielding 
with  such  telling  effect,  he  would  have  put  a 
sudden  stop  to  his  career  of  depredation.  Pete 
had  carried  Black  Bill  manv  a  long  mile  since 
his  master  last  saw  him;  but  now  he  seemed  in 
a  fair  way  to  fall  into  the  hands  of  his  rightful 
owner;  


FRANK  IN  SEARCH  OF  HIS  SUPPER.      197 

"Stop,  I  tell  you!"  shouted  Frank,  again. 
"You  are  at  the  end  of  your  rope  now,  my 
hearty." 

The  young  Indian  heard  the  order,  but  paid 
no  attention  to  it.  He  ran  directly  to  the 
horses,  and,  springing  upon  King  James's  back, 
cut  the  lasso,  with  which  he  was  tied,  with  his 
knife,  and  went  tearing  down  the  ravine,  with 
Frank  in  hot  pursuit.  The  time  had  come 
now  to  decide  the  question  which  had  been  so 
long  in  dispute.  This  was  to  be  a  fair  race, 
and  Frank  wished  his  cousin  had  been  there  to 
witness  it,  for  he  was  sure  of  a  victory. 

A  few  of  Roderick's  long  bounds  carried 
him  through  the  willows  and  out  on  the  prairie, 
where  Frank  discovered  the  Indian,  almost  a 
hundred  yards  distant,  lying  flat  along  his 
horse's  neck,  one  hand  twisted  in  his  mane, 
and  the  other  swinging  the  lasso,  which  he  now 
and  then  brought  down  on  the  black's  side 
with  a  sounding  whack.  Roderick  seemed  to 
know  what  was  expected  of  him,  for  he  in- 
creased his  speed  the  moment  he  emerged  from 
the  willows,  and  then  the  race  began  in  earnest. 
The  gray  gained  from  the  start,  and  rapidly, 


198  FRANK  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

too ;  and,  before  half  a  mile  had  been  accom- 
plished, Frank  was  so  close  to  the  object  of  his 
pursuit  that  he  leaned  forward  to  catch  him  by 
the  scalp-lock. 

"I  guess  you'll  stop  now,  Indian!"  he  t.x- 
claimed.  "Well,  it  makes  no  difference  to  me 
which  way  you  take  it,  on  foot  or  on  horse- 
back, for  I  can  beat  you." 

The  Indian,  for  once,  was  a  little  too  quick 
for  Frank.  Slipping  like  an  eel  out  of  hia 
grasp,  he  threw  himself  from  his  horse  with- 
out attempting  to  check  his  headlong  speed, 
and,  landing  safely  on  his  feet,  started  back 
toward  the  willows.  Frank  was  on  the  ground 
almost  at  the  same  instant;  and  then  began 
another  race,  which,  like  the  one  that  had 
come  off  the  day  before  at  the  Indian  camp, 
was  decided  in  favor  of  the  fleet-footed  young 
hunter.  The  Black  Fox,  however,  was  des- 
perate to  the  last;  and,  after  the  race,  a  fight 
ensued.  One  quick,  determined  blow  with  the 
rifle  knocked  the  knife  from  the  savage's  hand ; 
but  that  was  not  the  end  of  the  matter — it  was 
only  the  beginning  of  it.  The  young  warrior's 
strength  and  agility  seemed  to  have  increased 


FRANK  IN  SEARCH  OF  HIS  SUPPER.      199 

wonderfully  since  their  last  meeting,  and  the 
struggle,  which  continued  at  least  ten  minutes, 
was  decided  only  by  Frank's  superior  powers 
of  endurance.  He  came  off  with  flying  colors; 
and  when  he  helped  his  prisoner  to  his  feet, 
his  arms  were  fastened  behind  his  back  with 
his  own  belt. 


200  FRANK   IN  THE  MOUNTAINS. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

ADAM  BESIEGED. 

T?OR  a  quarter  of  an  hour  after  Frank  left 
him,  Adam  worked  industriously,  collecting 
a  supply  of  wood  for  the  fire,  which  he  piled 
at  the  entrance  to  the  passage-way.  The  next 
thing  to  be  done  was  to  ascertain  whether  or 
not  the  cave  was  a  safe  place  for  them  to  camp 
during  the  night.  One  enemy  had  been  dis- 
lodged by  the  smoke,  but  there  might  be  oth- 
ers in  there  for  all  he  knew.  The  only  way 
to  find  out  was  to  go  in  and  see;  and  this 
Adam  prepared  to  do. 

Having  satisfied  himself  that  his  knife  and 
hatchet  were  safe  in  his  belt,  he  grasped  a 
lighted  pine-knot  in  one  hand  to  serve  as  a 
torch,  and  holding  in  the  other  the  bow,  and 
half  a  dozen  arrows  which  he  had  selected  from 
the  quuer,  he  crawled  down  into  the  passage- 


ADAM   BESIEGED.  201 

way.  The  thought  that  he  was  about  to  enter 
the  cave  which,  but  a  few  minutes  before,  had 
been  the  home  of  a  panther,  made  him  tremble 
so  violently  that  the  torch  shook  in  his  hand. 
He  worked  his  way  along  very  slowly  and  cau- 
tiously, stopping  every  few  feet  to  examine  the 
ground  before  him,  and  finally  reached  the  foot 
of  the  passage-way  without  having  discovered 
any  thing  at  which  to  be  alarmed.  There  waa 
the  panther's  bed  on  the  withered  hemlock 
boughs  which,  in  days  gone  by,  had  served  Dick 
and  Bill  Lawson  for  a  couch;  but  the  panther 
himself  was  gone.  The  cave  appeared  to  be 
empty,  but  it  was  not  so  in  reality.  Had  Adam 
raised  his  torch  above  his  head  and  examined  the 
sides  of  the  cavern  closely,  he  would  have  dis- 
covered something  crouching  behind  a  project- 
ing rock,  about  ten  feet  above  the  floor  of  the 
cave,  and  might  have  seen  the  eyes  which 
glared  down  at  him  through  the  darkness. 

"This  will  do  nicely,"  said  Adam  to  him- 
self, "There  is  a  little  too  much  smoke  in 
here  just  now  for  comfort,  but  that  will  soon 
pass  out.  If  the  outlaws  track  us  here,  and 
come  in  at  onr  of  the  passage-ways,  we  can  go 


202  FRANK  JN  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

out  at  the  other;  and  if  they  surround  us,  so 
that  we  can't  get  out  at  all,  we  can  climb  up  the 
sides  of  the  cave  and  hide  among  those  rocks." 

Sx  raying,  Adam  began  making  preparations 
for  the  night.  He  threw  down  his  weapons, 
stuck  his  torch  into  the  ground,  and  ascended 
out  of  the  cave  to  bring  down  the  wood  which 
he  had  collected.  In  a  few  minutes  a  fire  was 
blazing  brightly  in  the^center  of  the  Old  Bear's 
Hole  (the  passage  that  led  to  the  top  of  the  hill 
answered  all  the  purposes  of  a  .chimney),  a 
quantity  of  wood  sufficient  to  keep  it  burning 
all  night  was  piled  in  one  corner,  and  Adam 
sat  on  the  hemlock  boughs  whittling  out  some 
spits  on  which  to  cook  the  supper  when  Frank 
brought  it  in.  All  this  while  that  dark  ob- 
ject behind  the  rocks  had  been  looking  down 
at  him,  closely  watching  every  move  he  made. 

When  the  spits  were  finished,  Adam  went 
out  of  the  cave  to  look  for  Frank.  He  began 
to  think  that  if  the  big-horns  were  as  plenty 
about  there  as  his  friend  had  represente  1  them 
to  be,  he  was  a  long  time  in  finding  one.  H.1 : 
impatience  soon  gave  way  to  anxiety;  an  1 
when  at  last  it  grew  quite  dark,  and  Fr-.i  k 


ADAM   BESIEGED.  203 

did  not  make  his  appearance,  he  became 
alarmed.  He  could  not  go  out  to  look  for 
him,  for  he  did  not  know  the  direction  in 
which  he  had  gone ;  and,  besides,  he  might  get 
bewildered  in  the  darkness,  and  be  unable  to 
find  his  way  back  to  the  cave.  For  two  hours 
he  kept  watch  at  the  top  of  the  hill — as  Dick, 
years  before,  had  kept  watch  for  the  return  of 
Bill  Lawson — listening  in  vain  for  the  sound 
of  Frank's  footsteps,  and  then  he  reluctantly 
came  to  the  conclusion  that  he  was  destined  to 
pass  the  night  alone  and  supperless.  He  did 
not  mind  the  loss  of  his  supper  so  much,  but 
he  knew  he  would  be  lonesome  down  there  in 
that  gloomy  cavern,  with  no  one  to  talk  to. 
He  felt  the  need  of  companionship;  and,  more 
than  that,  he  was  harassed  by  the  fear  that 
Frank  had  fallen  into  some  danger. 

"  There  is  but  one  thing  that  I  can  do,"  he 
soliloquized,  "and  that  is  to  wait  until  day- 
light and  follow  his  trail.  I'll  never  make 
another  step  toward  Fort  Benton  until  I  know 
what  has  become  of  him.  It  would  be  a  cow- 
ardly piece  of  business  in  me  to  desert  him, 
after  what  he  has  done  for  me." 


204  FRANK  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

Adam's  first  care  was  to  make  his  camp  se- 
cure against  any  visitors  he  might  chance  to 
Lave  during  the  night.  The  bright  fire  which 
was  burning  in  the  cave,  and  which  shone  out 
at  the  mouth  of  the  passage-way,  lighting  up 
the  bushes  all  around,  was  just  the  thing  to 
keep  off  four-footed  enemies,  but  it  might  serve 
to  guide  the  outlaws,  whom  he  feared  more 
than  bears  or  panthers,  to  his  place  of  retreat. 
The  light  must  be  covered;  and  that  could  be 
easily  done,  for  there  was  the  log  which  the 
trappers  had  more  than  once  used  to  conceal 
this  entrance  to  the  Old  Bear's  Hole.  Adam 
rolled  it  close  to  the  opening,  and,  after  listen- 
ing again  to  make  sure  than  Frank  was  not 
approaching,  he  backed  down  into  the  passage- 
way and  pulled  the  log  over  it,  leaving  only  a 
small  opening  for  the  passage  of  smoke. 

For  the  next  half  hour  Adam  was  miserable 
enough.  He  lay  upon  the  boughs,  gazing  into 
the  fire  and  thinking  over  his  adventures,  now 
and  then  raising  his  head  to  listen  for  Frank's 
footsteps — once  or  twice  almost  certain  that  he 
heard  his  voice — and  finally  he  fell  into  an 
uneasy  slumber.  When  he  awoke,  it  was  with 


ADAM  BESIEGED.  205 

a  sturt  and  a  presentiment  of  evil.  He  knew 
he  heard  a  voice  now,  but  it  was  not  Frank's 
voice.  Starting  up  in  alarm,  he  grasped  the 
bow  which  lay  close  at  his  side,  and  looked  up 
the  passage-way  in  the  direction  from  which 
the  voice  came.  A  cold  sweat  started  out  all 
over  him,  and  he  trembled  in  every  limb  when 
he  saw  that  the  log  which  he  had  placed  over 
the  opening  had  been  removed,  and  that  two 
men  were  leaning  over  it,  peering  down  into 
the  cave.  The  fire  had  burned  out,  leaving 
only  a  bed  of  smoldering  coals;  consequently 
it  was  dark  in  the  Old  Bear's  Hole,  and  Adam 
was  sure  the  men  could  not  see  him,  although 
he  could  observe  every  move  they  made,  and 
could  even  distinguish  their  features.  The 
men  were  Black  Bill  and  his  friends. 

"Wai,  I  reckon  we've  run  yer  cubs  to  earth 
at  last,"  said  a  gruff  voice.  "  They  're  thar  easy 
enough,  'cause  I  can  see  a  fire  an'  smell  smoke." 

"Yes,"  assented  Black  Bill,  "they're  thar, 
aii'  we'll  jest  go  down  an'  fetch  'em  out." 

"  Mebbe  it  aint  them  at  all,"  said  another  of 
the  outlaws.  "P'raps  it's  Dick  Lewis  and 
Bob  Kelly." 


206  FRANK   IN  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

"  No,  I  reckon  it  aint  nobody  but  the  boys," 
replied  Black  Bill.  "  Haint  we  fpllered  their 
trail  all  the  way,  an'  did  we  see  any  signs  of 
Dick  and  Bob?  Say,  you,  Adam,  an'  you 
other  feller!"  he  shouted,  "we  Ve  got  you,  an' 
you  can  jest  give  up  without  any  fussin'  or 
foolin'.  Hear  me,  do  n't  you?" 

Adam  did  hear  him.  He  thought  he  could 
have  heard  that  stentorian  voice  very  distinctly 
if  he  had  been  half  a  mile  distant;  but  he  did 
not  make  any  reply.  He  was  well  satisfied  of 
one  thing,  and  that  was  that  Black  Bill,  boldly 
as  he  spoke,  was  in  no  hurry  to  enter  the  cave. 
The  latter  could  not  forget  that  the  boys  had 
possession  of  his  rifle  and  ammunition ;  and, 
from  what  he  had  seen  of  them,  he  did  not 
think  it  likely  that  they  would  hesitate  to  use 
the  weapon  in  an  emergency.  This  view  of  the 
case  was  confirmed  by  the  next  words  the  out- 
law uttered. 

"You  need  n't  keep  so  still  down  thar! "  he 
shouted.  "We've  got  you  fast  enough,  an'  if 
you  do  n't  hand  up  that  rifle  an'  come  up  out 
o*  that,  it'll  be  wuss  fur  you." 

If  the  outlaws  had  known  that  Adana  was 


ADAM  BESIEGED.  207 

alone  in  the  cave,  and  that  the  rifle  they  so 
much  dreaded  was  a  long  way  from  there,  they 
would  not  have  spent  many  minutes  in  settling 
matters.  They  waited  and  listened  for  a  reply, 
and  then  Adam  saw  Black  Bill's  burly  form 
darken  the  opening.  He  was  tired  of  waiting 
for  Adam;  and  since  the  latter  would  not  come 
up,  he  had  decided  to  go  down  after  him. 
The  boy  saw  that  it  was  high  time  he  was 
doing  something. 

"Hallo,  up  there!"  he  exclaimed,  as  if  he 
had  just  awakened  from  a  sound  sleep; 
"who's  that?  Frank,  Dick,  Bob,  wake  up! 
There's  somebody  coming  down  the  passage- 
way." 

By  the  time -these  words  were  spoken,  there 
was  no  one  in  the  passage-way,  or  even  in 
sight.  Black  Bill  had  crawled  back  to  the  top 
of  the  hill  with  all  possible  speed.  He  believed 
now  that  his  man  was  right  in  his  conjectures— 
that  the  trappers,  of  whom  he  stood  so  much 
in  fear,  were  in  the  cave  with  the  boys,  and 
that  it  would  not  be  quite  safe  for  him  to  go 
amorg  them.  He  said  nothing  until  he  had 
rolled  the  log  over  the  opening,  thus  putting 


208  FRANK  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

it  out  of  the  power  of  his  enemies  to  ascend 
out  of  the  cave  to  attack  him,  even  should 
they  feel  so  disposed,  and  then  he  exclaimed, 
in  an  exultant  tone: 

"We  Jve  got  you  all  jest  where  we  want  you. 
It  wont  take  us  long  to  settle  up  our  accounts. 
Thar  won't  be  enough  of  you  left  to  go  on  an- 
other tradin'  expedition  by  the  time  we  are 
done  with  you." 

During  the  next  ten  minutes  Adam  sat  on 
his  bed  of  boughs,  listening  intently,  and  won- 
dering what  would  come  next.  The  outlaws 
were  holding  a  consultation.  He  could  hear 
them  conversing  in  low  tones,  but  could  not 
understand  what  they  said.  After  a  long  and 
earnest  debate,  they  seemed  to-  have  come  to 
some  decision,  for  the  sound  of  their  voices 
ceased,  and  Adam  heard  them  moving  down 
the  hill.  The  next  sound  that  reached  his  ears 
came  through  the  lower  passage-way — a  rus- 
tling sound,  as  if  some  one  was  crawling  to- 
ward the  cave;  but  Adam  knew  it  was  not 
that.  He  was  well  aware  that  the  outlaws  could 
not  be  induced  to  enter  the  Old  Bear's  Hole  as 
long  as  they  supposed  that  Dick  and  Bob  were 


ADAM  BESIEGED.  209 

there,  ft  r  there  was  not  one  among  them  who  was 
brave  enough  to  meet  either  of  the  trappers  ;n 
a  fa'.r  contest.  They  had  determined  to  compel 
them  to  come  out  of  their  hiding-place,  so  that 
(hey  could  overpower  them  by  their  superior 
lumbers.  In  order  to  accomplish  this,  they 
adopted  the  same  plan  to  which  the  boys  had 
resorted  to  drive  out  the  panther.  But  Adam 
was  not  a  wild  animal,  to  be  frightened  out  of 
his  snug  harboring-place  by  a  little  smoke.  He 
thought  he  knew  how  to  beat  the  outlaws  at 
their  own  game ;  and,  while  they  were  employed 
in  filling  the  passage-way  with  leaves  and  pine- 
knots,  he  went  to  work  to  stop  the  draft  so 
that  the  fire  would  not  burn.  The  lower  pas- 
sage-way, where  it  entered  the  cave,  was  about 
two  feet  square;  and  it  was  a  matter  of  but 
little  difficulty  for  him  to  close  the  opening  by 
cramming  the  hemlock  boughs  into  it.  When 
the  work  was  done,  he  surveyed  it  with  a  smile 
of  satisfaction,  and  told  himself  that  the  out- 
laws would  have  a  fine  time  smoking  him  out. 
Having  finished  the  task  of  blocking  up  the 
passage-way,  Adam  spread  his  hunting-shirt 

upon  the  ground,  and  began  cutting  the  gar- 
14 


210  FRANK  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

ment  into  strips  with  his  knife.  The  pieceSj 
when  tied  together,  formed  a  rope  about  fifteen 
feet  in  length  ;  and  in  one  end  of  it  was  a  run- 
ning noose.  Adam  then  threw  a  pine- knot 
upon  the  fire,  and  when  it  blazed  up  so  that 
he  could  distinguish  objects  in  the  cave,  he 
coiled  the  rope  in  his  hand,  and,  after  one  or 
two  failures,  succeeded  in  throwing  the  noose 
around  a  projecting  point  of  rock  about  ten 
feet  above  his  head.  As  the  noose  settled  down 
over  the  rock,  something  glided  from  behind 
it,  and  stole  noiselessly  up  the  side  of  the  cave ; 
but  Adam  did  not  see  it.  It  was  dark  up  there, 
and  he  was  too  deeply  interested  in  his  work 
to  notice  any  thing.  In  order  to  make  sure 
that  the  rope  was  strong  enough  to  sustain  his 
weight,  he  ascended  it  hand-over-hand,  and 
climbed  upon  the  rock. 

"This  is  just  the  place,"  said  he,  to  himself. 
"  Black  Bill  will  not  be  long  in  finding  out 
that  I  am  alone  here,  and  then,  of  course,  he 
will  come  in.  I  can't  whip  him  and  his  three 
mates,  so  when  I  see  him  coming,  I  will  climb 
up  the  rope,  and  hide  behind  this  rock.  He'll 
never  discover  me,  unless  he  comes  up  here; 


ADAM    BESIEGED.  211 

and  if  he  tries  that  I  '11  begin  to  fight.  I  '11 
show  him  that  he 's  got  a  nephew  who  is  n't 
afraid  of  him,  if  he  is  an  outlaw  and  a  des- 
perado." 

Adam  slid  down  the  rope  again,  and  busied 
himself  in  collecting  his  weapons,  and  getting 
every  thing  in  readiness,  so  that  when  the  time 
carne  for  him  to  retreat,  he  could  ascend  to  his 
hiding-place  without  an  instant's  delay.  Then, 
for  the  first  time,  he  discovered  that  Frank 
had  gone  off  without  any  ammunition  for  his 
rifle.  The  powder-horn  and  bullet-pouch  were 
still  hanging  over  his  shoulder,  where  they 
had  been  ever  since  he  and  Frank  escaped  from 
the  outlaws.  How  careless  they  had  both  been ! 
What  a  reckless  piece  of  business  it  was  for  a 
hunter  to  go  off  alone  in  the  mountains,  with 
only  one  load  in  his  rifle!  Frank  might  have 
run  into  some  danger  from  which  a  single 
extra  charge  of  powder  would  have  saved  him. 
But  no  amount  of  regrets  could  now  place  the 
ammunition  in  his  friend's  hands ;  and  after  a 
few  seconds  reflection,  Adam  thought  that  per- 
haps what  had  been  Frank's  loss  might  be  his 
gain— that  the  powder,  at  least,  might  be  made 


212  FRANK  IX  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

lo  serve  him  a  good  turn.  An  idea  came  into 
his  head,  and  no  sooner  was  it  conceived  than 
he  set  about  putting  it  into  execution.  Step- 
ping to  the  place  where  the  upper  passage-way 
opened  into  the  cave,  he  pulled  the  stopper 
from  the  powder-horn,  and  poured  nearly  all 
its  contents  in  a  pile  upon  the  rocks.  With 
that  which  was  left  in  the  horn,  he  laid  a  train 
from  the  pile  to  the  middle  of  the  cave.  When 
he  had  done  this,  he  felt  greatly  encouraged. 
He  believed  that  if  he  had  a  few  more  pounds 
of  powder,  and  a  supply  of  provisions  and 
water,  he  could  hold  the  Old  Bear's  Hole 
against  all  the  enemies  Black  Bill  could  bring 
against  it. 

While  Adam  was  thus  employed  on  the  in- 
side of  the  cave,  the  outlaws  were  equally  busy 
on  the  outside.  They  had  filled  the  passage- 
way with  leaves,  and  after  a  fire  had  been 
started  in  them,  Black  Bill  and  two  of  his  men 
went  up  the  hill  to  tell  the  occupants  of  the 
cave  what  they  had  done,  and  to  demand  their 
surrender.  The  outlaws  had  left  some  one  ar 
the  upper  passage-way  to  watch  it  during  their 
absence.  It  was  the  Black  Fox,  who,  shortly 


ADAH    BESIEGED.  213 

after  his  fight  with  Frank,  had  found  and 
joined  Black  Bill's  party.  He  had  a  piece  of 
news  to  communicate  to  the  outlaws,  and  that 
was  that  Adam  was  alone  in  the  cave.  He 
had  kept  a  close  watch  down  the  passage-way, 
and  had  seen  Adam  moving  about — it  was  so 
dark  that  he  could  not  tell  what  he  was  doing — • 
and  he  had  seen  no  one  else.  He  did  not  be- 
lieve that  Dick  and  Bob  were  down  there,  and, 
after  Black  Bill  had  listened  to  his  story,  he 
did  not  believe  it  either.  With  angry  haste 
he  pulled  away  the  log  which  he  had  rolled 
over  the  mouth  of  the  passage-way,  and 
shouted : 

"  You  Adam  Brent !  You  can't  fool  me  no 
longer.  I  know  jest  how  the  matter  stands; 
you  're  alone  down  thar.  Pass  up  that  rifle 
an'  come  out,  or  I  '11  be  down  arter  you." 

Adam,  as  before,  had  nothing  to  say  until 
the  outlaw,  enraged  at  his  silence,  began  mak- 
ing preparations  to  descend  into  the  cave ;  and 
then  he  called  out : 

"Black  Bill,  can  you  hear  what  I  say?" 

"  Do  you  hear  what  1  say  ?  "  asked  the  out- 
law, in  reply.  "  Come  up  out  o'  that. 


214  FRANK   IN  '1HE  MOUNTAINS. 

"  Listen  to  me,"  said  Adam.  "  We  are  not 
going  up  there " 

"We!"  interrupted  the  outlaw;  "thar  lint 
nobody  down  thar  b  it  you.  If  Dick  an'  Bob 
are  in  the  cave,  why  don't  they  speak?" 

"Their  rifles  will  speak  sooner  than  you 
care  to  hear  them.  We  are  all  ready  for  you, 
and  the  first  man  who  comes  down  here  will 
be  blown  in  pieces.  We  've  got  something  that 
you  do  n't  know  any  thing  about." 

Adam  knew,  by  the  silence  which  followed, 
that  his  words  had  not  been  without  their  ef- 
fect upon  the  outlaws.  They  were  cowards  at 
heart,  and  they  dreaded  to  face  an  unknown 
danger.  They  talked  together  in  a  low  tone 
for  a  few  minutes,  and  then  Black  Bill  began 
to  descend  into  the  cave,  his  actions  indicating 
that  he  was  thoroughly  in  earnest  this  time, 
and  that  there  was  to  be  no  backing  out,  no 
matter  what  perils  he  might  encounter. 

"  St<  p  !  "  shouted  Adam,  who  plainly  saw 
that  something  was  going  to  happen.  He  was 
standing  near  the  fire,  holding  in  his  hand  one 
of  the  spits  on  which  he  had  intended  to  cook 
his  supper.  He  was  ready  to  put  it  to  a  dif- 


ADAM    BESIEGED.  215 

ferent  use  now,  for  one  end  of  it  was  blazing, 
and  he  stood  within  reach  of  the  train  of  pow- 
der. "  Stop !""  he  repeated,  in  a  still  louder 
tone.  "  I  am  not  going  to  be  captured  again, 
and  I  give  you  fair  warning  that,  if  you  come 
into  this  cave,  I  will  blow  you  up.  Don't 
come  a  step  nearer." 

Black  Bill  was  too  angry  to  heed  the  warn- 
ing. He  growled  out  a  savage  reply,  and  came 
on  down  the  passage-way,  followed  by  both  his 
companions.  It  required  the  exercise  of  all 
the  courage  Adam  possessed  to  stand  there  and 
await  their  approach,  but  he  did  it ;  and  when 
Black  Bill  was  directly  over  the  pile  of  pow- 
der, he  threw  his  burning  spit  upon  the  train. 
There  was  a  quick  flash  which  lighted  up  the 
interior  of  the  Old  Bear's  Hole  as  bright  aa 
noon-day,  and  a  great  volume  of  smoke  arose 
and  filled  the  cavern.  For  an  instant  there 
was  silence  in  the  cave;  then  a  frightful  yell 
rang  through  the  passage-way,  followed  by  a 
volley  of  oaths,  and  threats  of  vengeance  that 
made  Adam's  blood  run  cold.  He  had  all  the 
while  been  aware  that  the  powder  was  not  suf- 
ficient in  quantity  to  do  the  outlaws  any  great 


216  FKANK   IX  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

damage.  He  had  hoped  that  it  would  frighten 
them,  but  it  had  a  directly  opposite  effect, 
They  were  almost  beside  themselves  with  rage 
now,  especially  Black  Bill,  who  had  suffered 
more  severely  than  either  of  his  companions. 
When  he  came  into  the  cave  he  carried  his 
knife  in  his  hand,  and  was  in  just  the  humor 
to  use  it  upon  something. 

"  Start  up  this  fire,  one  of  you,  an'  give  us 
a  light  here,"  said  he,  in  a  voice  choked  with 
passion.  "  Jack,  watch  that  hole,  an'  be  sure 
that  he  don't  slip  by  you." 

The  smoke  which  filled  the  cave  soon  passed 
out;  and  when  the  wood,  which  had  been 
thrown  upon  the  fire,  blazed  up  so  that  the 
outlaws  could  distinguish  objects  about  them, 
they  were  not  a  little  amazed  to  find  that  the 
Old  Bear's  Hole  was  empty.  Their  plucky 
enemy,  who,  alone  and  unaided,  had  held  them 
at  bay  for  more  than  an  hour,  had  disappeared. 
Auam  was  where  he  could  see  them,  however, 
and  he  took  particular  notice  of  the  outlaws' 
faces.  Black  Bill's  eye-brows  had  disappeared 
altogether,  and  so  had  his  whiskers  and  mous- 
tache. His  'coon-skin  cap  and  hunting-shirt 


ADAM    BESIEGED.  217 

weio  badly  burned,  and  his  face  was  blacker 
than  ever  from  the  effects  of  the  powder.  His 
two  companions  had  also  suffered  severely,  and 
Adam  did  not  wonder  that  they  were  angry. 

"Where  is  he?"  exclaimed  Black  Bill,  in 
great  perplexity.  "  He  could  n't  have  gone 
out  through  this  other  hole,  'cause  it's  stopped 
up.  Ah  !  I  see  where  he  is.  Come  down  out 
o'  that." 

The  outlaw  was  looking  straight  at  the  bowl- 
der behind  which  Adam  was  concealed;  but 
the  latter,  knowing  that  he  had  not  discovered 
him,  kept  perfectly  quiet.  He  had  made  up 
his  mind  to  fight  in  earnest  now,  and  was  ready 
to  give  his  enemies  a  warm  reception,  if  they 
attempted  to  drag  him  from  his  hiding-place. 

"  I  haint  agoin'  to  waste  no  more  words  with 
you,"  said  Black  Bill,  savagely.  "  I  '11  snake 
you  down  from  thar,  an'  split  your  wizzen  fur 
you  ;  that 's  what  I  '11  do." 

The  outlaw  placed  his  knife  between  his 
teeth,  and  snatching  one  of  the  pine  knots  from 
the  fire,  began  the  ascent  of  the  rocks.  As 
they  were  almost  perpendicular,  that  was  a 
task  of  some  difficulty ;  but,  with  the  assist- 


218  FRANK  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

ance  of  his  men,  he  was  at  last  able  to  grasp 
the  bowlder,  and  draw  himself  up  until  he 
could  look  over  it.  Adam  was  there.  lie 
was  lying  flat  on  his  back  with  his  bow  drawn, 
and  the  moment  the  outlaw's  head  appeared  in 
view,  he  discharged  an  arrow  at  him.  The 
missile  passed  through  his  cap,  and  sent  it 
whirling  to  the  floor. 

"  Here  you  are ! "  shouted  Black  Bill. 
"  You  '11  never  have  a  chance  to  draw  an  arrer 
or  any  thing  else  on  me  agin." 

Adam  knew  by  the  expression  he  saw  on  the 
outlaw's  face,  that  he  had  something  worse 
than  captivity  to  fear  now.  His  enemy  swung 
himself  over  the  bowlder,  and  was  on  the  point 
of  springing  dov/n  upon  the  boy,  when  his 
movements  were  arrested  by  a  savage  growl 
which  seemed  to  come  from  the  rocks  directly 
over  his  head.  The  next  instant  a  dark  object 
bounded  through  the  air,  and  alighting  on 
Black  Bill's  shoulders,  fastened  its  teeth  in  his 
throat,  and  fell  with  him  headlong  to  the 
gi3imd.  Adam  saw  it  as  it  passed  over  him, 
and  knew  that  it  was  a  panther — the  mate  to 
the  one  he  had  smoked  out  of  the  cave. 


DICK  IN  A  NEW  CHARACTER.  219 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

DICK   IN   A   NEW   CHARACTER. 

1  ET  us  now  return  to  Archie,  whom  we  left 
•^  in  Black  Bill's  wigwam.  He  was  very  much 
disheartened  at  the  result  of  his  cousin's  bold 
attempt  to  release  him,  but  knowing  that  it 
wari  useless  to  repine,  or  to  attempt  resistance, 
he  submitted  to  his  fate  with  all  the  fortitude 
he  could  command,'  and  allowed  the  outlaw  to 
bind  him  hand  and  foot. 

"  You  said  I  could  n't  keep  you  pris'ner, 
did  i 't  you?"  said  Black  Bill,  fiercely;  "now 
I  'm  goin'  to  show  you.  If  you  can  break  that 
buckekin,  you  're  a  hoss." 

"  1  do  n't  see  what  you  want  with  me,  any- 
how," returned  Archie.  "  I  am  not  Adam 
Brent,  and,  more  than  that,  I  never  saw  or 
heard  of  him  until  three  days  ago." 

"  Keep  your  breath  to  cool  your  porridge," 


220  FRANK  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

said  the  outlaw,  as  he  stretched  himself  on  a 
pile  of  skins  near  his  prisoner,  "'cause  it  aint 
no  'arthly  use  to  waste  it  in  talkin'  to  me. 
I'm  too  ole  a  'coon  to  let  a  boy  like  you  pull 
the  wool  over  my  eyes.  Do  n't  I  know  thai 
nose  of  your'n,  an'  that  har,  an'  that  black 
face?  I  could  pick  you  out  among  a  million. 
Now,  I  am  goin'  to  sleep,  an'  you  had  bettei 
do  the  same." 

This  command  was  uttered  in  a  very  savage 
tone  of  voice,  and  Archie,  knowing  that  it 
would  be  the  height  of  folly  to  enrage  the  out- 
law by  disregarding  his  wishes,  turned  over  on 
his  bed  to  find  an  easy  position,  and  held  his 
peace;  but  sleep  for  him  was  quite  out  of  the 
question.  Black  Bill  slept,  however,  and 
snored  lustily  for  half  an  hour;  and  then  he 
suddenly  awoke  and  started  up  with  an  ejacu- 
lation of  wonder.  Almost  at  the  same  instant 
a  yell  rang  out  on  the  air,  followed  by  the  re- 
port of  a  rifle,  which  brought  the  outlaw  to 
his  feet  in  great  haste. 

"What's  the  matter  out  there?"  asked 
Archie,  who  speedily  became  aware  that  there 
was  something  unusual  going  on  in  the  camp. 


DICK  IN  A  NEW  CHARAOTER.  221 

"We're  attacked!"  exclaimed  Black  Bill, 
in  great  excitement.  "  Them  fellers  at  the  fort 
are  either  mighty  reckless,  or  else  they  've  got 
help  from  somewhere.  They  're  pitchin'  into 
us,  that's  sartin." 

As  the  outlaw  spoke,  the  report  of  a  volley 
of  fire-arms  rang  through  the  ravine,  followed 
by  yells,  and  the  hurrying  of  feet  outside  the 
lodge.  Black  Bill  tore  open  the  door,  and 
looking  out,  began  a  rapid  conversation  with 
some  one.  It  proved  to  be  the  Black  Fox,  who 
came  in,  and  hastily  untying  Archie's  feet, 
grasped  him  by  the  collar,  and  hurried  him 
out  of  the  lodge.  Black  Bill  caught  him  up  in 
his  arms  as  he  came  out,  and  placed  him  upon 
the  back  of  a  mustang,  which  was  standing  in 
front  of  the  door;  after  which  the  young  In- 
dian seized  the  bridle,  and  led  the  animal  off 
at  a  rapid  trot. 

As  soon  as  Archie  had  time  to  look  about 
him,  he  found  that  the  outlaw  had  not  been 
mistaken  in  his  conjectures.  The  confusion  in 
the  camp  was  increasing  every  moment.  The 
reports  of  the  rifles  lang  out  louder  and  clearer, 
showing  that  the  attacking  party  was  gaining 


222  FRANK  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

ground  rapidly ;  men,  women,  and 
surprised  and  terrified  by  the  suddenness  of  the 
assault,  ran  through  the  village  in  all  direc- 
tions, some  with  packs  on  their  backs  contain- 
ing their  household  goods,  others  empty-handed, 
and  too  intent  on  making  good  their  escape  tc 
think  of  any  thing  else,  and  all  hurrying  at 
the  best  of  their  speed  toward  the  mountains. 
The  flames  were  already  ascending  from  the 
lower  end  of  the  village,  and  by  the  light  which 
they  gave  out,  Archie  discovered  that  the  at- 
tacking party  was  composed  of  trappers,  and 
that  they  were  coming  directly  toward  him, 
sweeping  every  thing  before  them.  The  hope 
that  they  would  see  and  recognize  him  was 
shDrt-lived;  for  the  Black  Fox  plunged  at 
once  into  the  midst  of  the  flying  crowd,  and  a 
very  few  minutes  sufficed  for  him  to  conduct 
his  prisoner  into  the  woods. 

The  fight  at  the  village,  if  such  it  could  be 
called,  was  over  almost  as  soon  as  it  began. 
The  trappers,  whose  only  desire  was  to  release 
Dick  Lewis,  passed  rapidly  through  the  camp, 
looking  in  vain  for  the  object  of  their  search, 
and  theu  turned  and  retreated  toward  the  fort, 


DICK  IN  A  NEW  CHARACTER.  223 

thus  extinguishing  the  last  spark  of  hope  which 
their  appearance  had  raised  in  the  breast  of  the 
prisoner.  Scarcely  had  their  shouts  died  away 
in  the  distance,  when  a  chorus  of  yells  arose 
in  another  direction ;  and  the  retreating  In- 
dians, one  and  all,  faced  about,  and  hurried 
back  to  the  camp.  Those  yells  produced  a 
great  change  in  them,  for  their  terror  gave 
away  instantly  to  the  wildest  delight,  which 
they  expressed  in  all  possible  ways.  The  Black 
Fox,  who  still  held  fast  to  the  horse  on  which 
Archie  was  mounted,  shouted  until  he  was  too 
hoarse  to  speak  plainly,  and  then  triumphantly 
announced  : 

"More  Indian  coming.  Burn  fort  now, 
sure." 

When  Archie  arrived  within  sight  of  the 
camp,  his  heart  stood  still,  and  he  trembled 
for  the  safety  of  his  friends  at  the  trading-post. 
A  cloud  of  braves  in  war-costume — five  hun- 
dred of  them  at  least — was  moving  through 
the  burning  village  in  the  direction  the  trap- 
pers had  gone — the  horses  running  at  the  top 
of  their  speed,  and  their  riders  swinging  their 
weapons  around  their  heads,  and  yelling  like 


224  FRANK  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

madmen.  These  were  the  reinforcements  the 
chief  had  been  expecting;  and  now  that  they 
had  arrived,  Archie  knew  that  the  attack  on 
the  fort  would  not  be  long  delayed.  It  was 
commenced  that  very  hour ;  and  when  it  was 
over,  some  one  brought  him  tidings  of  the 
result. 

When  the  reinforcements  had  passed  out  of 
sight,  the  Indians  who  had  fled  before  the 
trappers  ran  into  the  village,  and  busied  them- 
selves in  pulling  down  the  wigwams  to  stay 
the  progress  of  the  flames.  This  was  a  matter 
in  which  the  Black  Fox  was  not  interested. 
He  had  no  property  to  save,  but  he  had  a  pris- 
oner to  watch,  and  to  this  duty  he  gave  his 
whole  attention.  Stopping  in  the  edge  of  the 
woods,  he  tied  the  mustang  to  a  tree,  and  seiz- 
ing Archie  by  the  shoulders,  pulled  him  rather 
roughly  to  the  ground ;  after  which  he  spread 
his  blanket  on  the  leaves,  and  settled  into  a 
comfortable  position  to  observe  what  was  going 
on  in  the  village.  He  was  very  talkative,  and 
enlertained  his  captive  with  a  glowing  descrip- 
tion of  the  manner  in  which  the  Indians  would 
overcome  the  garrison,  and  the  way  they  would 


DICK  IN  A  NEW  CHARACTER.  225 

dispose  of  their  prisoners;  but  finding  that 
Archie  was  in  no  humor  to  listen  to  him,  he 
finally  relapsed  into  silence. 

At  the  end  of  two  hours — two  long,  dreary 
hours  they  were,  during  which  Archie  was  a 
prey  to  the  most  gloomy  thoughts — he  was 
aroused  from  a  reverie  into  which  he  had 
fallen,  by  the  movements  of  the  Black  Fox, 
who  jumped  to  his  feet,  and  gazed  earnestly 
toward  a  group  of  warriors  who  had  just 
emerged  from  the  ravine.  Archie  thought 
they  acted  very  strangely.  Some  of  them 
walked  with  feeble,  tottering  steps,  as  if  they 
scarcely  possessed  the  strength  to  retain  an  up- 
right position,  while  others  reeled  about  like 
drunken  men.  He  looked  toward  the  young 
Indian  for  an  explanation. 

"  Much  hurt,"  said  the  latter ;  then,  fearing 
that  his  prisoner  might  not  understand  him, 
he  struck  himself  on  various  parts  of  his  body 
with  his  hand,  raised  his  bow  to  his  shoulder 
as  if  it  had  been  a  gun,  and  imitated  the  mo- 
tions a  person  would  make  in  using  a  saber. 
From  this  Archie  knew  that  the  warriors  had 
been  wounded,  and  that  they  had  received 
15 


226  FRANK  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

their  injuries  during  the  battle  at  the  fort. 
This  was  enough  to  put  him  into  a  fever  of 
suspense.  He  wanted  to  know  if  the  Indiana 
had  been  successful,  and  he  wished  some  of  the 
braves  would  tell  him;  but  they  did  not  seem 
disposed  to  do  any  thing  of  the  kind.  They 
did  not  even  notice  their  friends,  but  threw 
themselves  upon  the  ground,  and  wrapping 
their  blankets  around  their  heads,  suffered  in 
silence. 

"Which  side  whipped?"  asked  Archie,  at 
length. 

"  Indian,"  replied  the  Black  Fox. 

"How  do  you  know?" 

"  O,  Indian  always  whip  white  man." 

"  No,  Indian  does  n't.  He  gets  thrashed 
sometimes,  and  badly,  too.  He  could  n't  whip 
the  trappers  who  set  fire  to  that  camp,  a  li'.tle 
while  ago." 

The  young  savage  did  not  appear  to  be  in  a 
mood  to  discuss  the  matter,  and  Archie,  with 
his  feelings  worked  up  to  the  highest  pitch  of 
excitement,  twisted  about  uneasily,  and  waited 
to  see  if  there  were  any  prisoners  brought  in. 
The  wounded  Indians,  in  the  meantime  came 


DICK   IN  A   NEW  CHARACTER.  227 

in  rapidly,  and  in  a  few  minutes  there  weie  so 
many  disabled  warriors  lying  about  him,  that 
Archie  began  to  believe  that  the  fight  had  re- 
sulted in  a  decided  victory  for  the  defenders 
of  the  fort.  Among  the  wounded  savages  was 
one  who  attracted  Archie's  attention  ;  and  if 
he  had -been  a  white  man,  or  even  a  friendly 
Indian,  he  would  have  felt  the  keenest  sym- 
pathy for  his  distress.  He  was  a  tall,  broad- 
shouldered,  powerful-looking  fellow,  badly  in- 
jured, if  one  might  judge  by  the  looks  of  his 
face,  and  the  pain  occasioned  by  his  wounds 
seemed  to  be  so  intense  that  he  could  neither 
sit,  lie,  nor  stand  still,  even  for  a  moment. 
He  would  seat  himself  on  the  giound,  and  rock 
back  and  forth  for  awhile,  then  stretch  out  at 
full  length,  and  thrash  about  uneasily,  and 
finally  spring  to  his  feet,  and  look  around  for 
another  resting-place.  At  length  he  walked 
rapidly  toward  the  Black  Fox,  who,  thinking 
that  it  might  not  be  quite  safe  to  trust  himself 
within  reach  of  a  man  driven  nearly  frantic 
with  pain,  jumped  up,  and  retreated  a  few 
steps.  This  seemed  to  be  just  what  the 
wounded  man  wanted ;  for  he  took  possession 


228  FRANK   IN  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

of  the  young  Indian's  blanket,  and,  wrap- 
ping it  around  his  head,  lay  down  upon  the 
ground. 

If  the  owner  of  the  blanket  was  angry,  he 
did  not  show  it.  He  stood  looking  at  the  war- 
rior a  moment,  and  then  an  idea  occurred  to 
him  which  he  announced  to  Archie  in  his 
broken  English.  There  was  no  danger  that 
the  latter  would  escape  while  the  Indians  were 
all  around  him,  he  said,  and  he  would  go  t< 
the  village  and  make  some  inquiries  concerning 
the  fight.  It  might  be  well  for  Archie  to  keep 
perfectly  quiet  during  his  absence,  he  added, 
for  there  was  the  wounded  Indian,  who  was  in 
just  the  right  mood  to  hurt  somebody. 

"  Do  n't  be  uneasy,"  replied  Archie.  "  Go 
and  get  some  information  about  that  fight,  and 
hurry  back ;  for  I  want  to  know  which  whipped. 
I  '11  wager  my  rifle  against  your  bow  and  ar- 
rows that  you  Indians  were  completely  cleaned 
out." 

When  the  young  warrior  had  disappeared, 
Archie,  not  knowing  what  else  to  do  witb  him- 
self, lay  down  on  the  ground  to  await  his  re- 
turn, looking  over  his  shoulder  occasionally 


DICK   IN  A  NEW  CIIAHACTER.  229 

at  tlie  wounded  Indian,  who  began  to  kick 
about  worse  than  ever. 

"  It  serves  you  just  right,"  said  the  prisoner. 
"  What  had  those  people  at  the  fort  done  to 
you,  that  you  wanted  to  kill  them?  Perhaps 
you  will  learn  to  let  peaceable  white  settlers 
alone  in  future." 

"  I  do  n't  reckon  I  ever  done  any  harm  to 
peaceable  white  fellers,"  said  a  familiar  voice, 
from  under  the  blanket.  "  Lay  down,  you 
keerless  feller!"  it  added  quickly,  as  Archie 
started  up  in  amazement ;  "  lay  down,  or  you  '11 
spile  every  thing." 

Archie,  for  a  moment  too  astonished  to  speak, 
fell  back  upon  the  ground  again,  and,  as  he 
did  so,  he  felt  the  cold  blade  of  a  hunting-knife 
pressed  against  his  hands.  The  thongs  of  buck- 
skin with  which  he  was  confined  gave  away, 
one  after  the  other,  under  its  keen  edge,  and 
in  a  few  seconds  he  was  free. 

"Dick,  is  that  really  you?"  he  whispered, 
as  soon  as  he  had  recovered  the  use  of  hia 
tongue. 

"  I  do  n't  re  ikon  it 's  any  body  else." 

"How  did  you  get  so  badly  hurt?" 


230  FRANK  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

"  Hurt !  "  repeated  the  trapper ;  "  I  aint  no 
more  hurt  nor  you  be.  This  aiut  the  fust  time 
you've  been  fooled  to-night,  is  it?  I've  been 
through  a  heap  since  I  seed  the  sun  set,  but  I 
can  out-run  and  out-fight  the  best  Injun  in  this 
tribe  yet.  I  haint  got  no  time  to  waste  ia 
talkin',  howsomever.  We  're  licked,  the  tradin'- 
post  is  burned  up,  an'  the  only  thing  we  can 
do  is  to  make  tracks  for  Fort  Benton.  Creep 
into  them  bushes,  an'  keep  in  'em  till  you  get 
around  to  the  other  side  of  the  camp ;  then 
strike  off  through  the  mountains,  an'  go  straight 
south.  The  moon  is  up  now,  an'  you  can  tell 
the  pints  of  the  compass  from  that.  Arter  you 
have  gone  about  two  miles  from  the  camp,  you 
will  strike  the  ole  wagon  trail — it  aint  traveled 
now,  but  it  is  a  good,  plain  road,  an'  you  can't 
miss  it — which  you  must  foller  till  you  reach 
the  prairy." 

"  I  might  get  lost,"  whispered  Archie.  "  Why 
can't  you  go  with  me?" 

"'Cause  I  can't  leave  ole  Bob,"  was  the  re- 
ply. "  He 's  a  pris'ner  now,  an'  I  'm  goin'  to 
stay  here  till  I  see  a  chance  to  turn  him  loose. 
You  can't  get  lost  if  you  do  as  I  tell  you, 


DICK   IN  A  NEW  CHARACTER.  231 

When  you  reach  the  prairy,  travel  straight 
north  fur  about  ten  miles,  an'  you  will  come  to 
the  Ole  Bar's  Hole.  If  me  an'  Bob  are  alive, 
we'll  be  thar  to-morrer  night;  but  if  we 
ehouldu't  come  then,  don't  wait  fur  us,  but 
strike  out  fur  Fort  Beuton,  which  is  exactly 
north-east  of  the  Ole  Bar's  Hole.  Now  be  off 
afore  that  young  Injun  comes  back." 

"But,  Dick,"  persisted  Archie,  "I  don't 
want  to  leave  Frank." 

"Who  axed  you  to  leave  him?  Ole  Bob 
sent  him  safe  out  of  camp  long  ago." 

Dick  jumped  to  his  feet  and  staggered  off  in 
the  direction  of  the  village,  and  Archie,  after 
looking  all  around  him  to  see  that  there  was 
no  one  observing  his  movements,  crept  into  the 
bushes.  When  he  reached  them,  he  arose  to 
an  upright  position,  and  hurried  along  with  all 
possible  speed,  keeping  in  the  edge  of  the  ra- 
vi»e,  as  Dick  had  directed.  How  long  it  was 
before  the  Black  Fox  discovered  his  escape 
and  what  he  said,  and  what  he  did,  when  he 
found  that  his  prisoner  had  slipped  through 
his  fingers,  Archie  never  knew.  He  heard  no 
tumult  behind  him,  nor  any  sounds  of  pursuit; 


232  FRANK  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

and  neither  did  he  meet  any  of  the  Indians 
during  the  two  hours  he  stumbled  about  through 
the  darkness,  picking  his  way  over  rocks  and 
logs  toward  the  old  wagon  trail  of  which  Dick 
had  spoken.  He  reached  it  in  safety,  and  then 
his  progress  became  more  easy  and  rapid. 

The  road,  being  overhung  by  cliffs  and 
trees,  was,  in  some  places,  pitch  dark;  but 
Archie  found  but  little  difficulty  in  following 
it.  He  ran  along,  forgetful  of  every  thing  ex- 
cept that  there  were  Indians  and  outlaws  be- 
hind him,  never  giving  a  thought  to  the  grizzly 
bears,  panthers,  and  other  savage  animals  with 
which  the  mountains  abounded,  and  thinking 
i.nly  of  the  foes  he  had  left  in  the  ravine,  and 
of  the  Old  Bear's  Hole,  where  he  hoped  to 
meet  the  trappers.  Alone  in  the  mountains,  on 
foot,  and  entirely  unarmed,  his  situation  was 
far  from  being  an  encouraging  one;  but  Archie 
had  a  happy  faculty  of  looking  at  the  bright 
side  of  things. 

Dick  had  told  him  that  the  trail  was  not 
traveled  now,  but  Archie  found  that  he  was 
mistaken;  for,  when  he  had  gone  about  two 
miles,  he  came  suddenly  around  the  base  of  a 


DICK   IN  A  NEW  CHARACTER.  233 

mountain,  and  found  before  him  a  long  row  of 
camp-fires,  and  wagons  drawn  up  on  et.ch  side 
of  the  road.  He  was  startled  by  the  unexpected 
bight,  and  his  first  impulse  was  to  turn  and  take 
to  his  heels;  but  a  closer  glance  satisfied  him 
that  he  had  stumbled  upon  the  camp  of  a  party 
of  emigrants.  That  same  glance  showed  him  also 
that  an  attempt  at  retreat  might  prove  extremely 
hazardous ;  for,  standing  in  front  of  the  nearest 
fire  was  a  man  who  hailed  him  the  moment  he 
came  in  sight,  and  covered  him  with  his  rifle. 

"  Who  's  that?"  asked  the  emigrant,  in  some 
alarm. 

"A  friend !  "  replied  Archie.     "  Do  n't  shoot." 

"  Come  up  to  the  fire,  friend,  and  let 's  have 

a  look  at  you,"  said  the  man.     "Why,  what's 

the  matter  with  you?     You  are  as  white  as  a 

sheet." 

"  Perhaps  you  would  be  white,  too,  if  you 
had  passed  through  what  I  have  to-night." 

"And  you  are  panting  as  though  you  had  been 
running,"  continued  the  emigrant.  "Where 'a 
your  horse  and  your  gun?  and  what  are  you 
doing  out  h«re  alone  in  the  mountains,  at  this 
time  of  night  ?  " 


234  FR-AfcK  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

"  It 's  a  long  story,  and  I  can't  stop  to  relate 
it  to  you.  You  have  made  your  camp  in  a  very 
dangerous  place,  if  you  only  knew  it,  and  my 
advice  is  to  hitch  up  and  start  for  Fort  Benton 
with  as  little  delay  as  possible.  There  are 
iiostile  Indians  all  around  you." 

"  Indians !  "  cried  the  emigrant.  He  stepped 
back,  and,  dropping  the  butt  of  his  rifle  to  the 
ground,  leaned  on  the  muzzle  of  the  weapon 
and  looked  earnestly  at  Archie,  while  several 
men  who  were  lying  near  the  fire  on  their 
blankets,  and  who  had  been  awakened  by  the 
conversation,  raised  themselves  on  their  elbows 
and  began  to  listen  more  attentively. 

"  Where  is  Fort  Benton,  and  why  should  we 
go  there?  We  want  to  go  to  Fort  Stockton." 

"  Well,  you  will  never  see  it.  It  was  burned 
by  Indians  not  more  than  three  hours  ago,  and 
the  most  of  the  garrison  were  massacred.  The 
eavages  may  come  along  this  road  in  less  than 
twenty  minutes." 

If  Archie  had  never  created  a  sensation  be- 
fore, he  could  certainly  boast  of  having  made 
one  now.  It  seemed  to  him,  from  the  commo- 
tion that  ensued,  that  every  person  in  the  train 


DICK  IN  A   NEW  CHARACTEK.  235 

nad  heard  his  words.  Exclamations  of  wonder 
and  alarm  arose  on  all  sides:  men  began  run- 
ning about,  some  yoking  their  oxen  and  har- 
ucssiug  their  mules,  others  crowding  around 
Archie  and  asking  innumerable  questions  which 
they  did  not  give  him  time  to  answer;  horses 
prance'l  and  snorted;  dogs  barked;  children 
cried;  women  screamed  and  thrust  their  heads 
out  of  the  wagons  to  see  what  was  going  on; 
and  in  a  moment  the  camp,  which  had  been  so 
quiet  and  peaceful  when  Archie  first  discovered 
it,  was  in  the  greatest  uproar. 

"Why,  boy,  you're  crazy!"  exclaimed  one 
of  the  emigrants,  when  Archie  had  hurriedly 
related  his  story.  "  I.  do  n't  believe  a  word 
you  say.  You  've  been  asleep,  and  dreamed  It 
all." 

"Am  I  asleep  now  ?  "  retorted  Archie.  "  Look 
at  my  wrists.  Do  you  dream  that  you  see 
those  marks  on  them?  They  were  made  by 
the  strips  of  buckskin  with  which  I  was  tied." 

"  Did  n't  they  tell  us  at  Fort  Alexander  that 
there  wasn't  a  hostile  Indian  on  the  plains?" 
asked  another. 

"Very  likely  they  did,  sir;  and  no  doubt 


236  FRANK   rX  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

they  thought  so.  I  have  been  living  within 
sight  of  a  camp  of  Indians  for  the  last  three  clays, 
and  I  did  n't  know  they  were  preparing  to  go 
on  the  war-trail ;  but  they  were,  and  I  jave 
passed  a  portion  of  this  night  as  a  prisonei 
among  those  same  Indians." 

"But  suppose  they  do  attack  us?  we've  got 
twenty  men." 

"There  were  almost  seven  times  as  many  in 
Fort  Stockton,  and  yet  the  Indians  captured  it. 
If  you  are  tired  of  life,  you  can  stay  here;  but 
as  I  desire  to  live  awhile  longer,  I  shall  go  on." 

Archie  did  go  on,  but  he  did  not  go  alone; 
the  entire  train  went  with  him.  Among  the 
emigrants  there  were  many  who  had  never 
crossed  the  plains  before,  and  who  were  terrified 
by  the  simple  mention  of  the  words  "hostile 
Indians."  These  prepared  to  turn  back  at  once; 
and  the  others,  not  caring  to  be  left  behind, 
accompanied  them. 

"Is  there  any  one  here  who  can  spare  me  a 
horse  and  rifle?"  asked  Archie.  "I  have 
tramped  about  among  these  mountains  until  I 
am  completely  tired  out ;  and  I  have  no  weapon 
except  a  pocket-knife." 


DICK   IN  A  NEW  CHARACTER.  237 

Archie  was  standing  near  a  wagon  occupied 
by  an  invalid,  who  had  listened  to  his  story 
with  blanched  cheeks.  When  he  made  this 
request,  the  man  said,  in  a  trembling  voice : 

"  You  do  n't  look  as  though  you  were  strong 
enough  to  handle  a  gun  •  but  if  you  are,  here 's 
one  at  your  service." 

"I  don't  want  to  take  this,  sir,  unless  you 
have  other  weapons,"  said  Archie,  who,  anxious 
as  he  was  to  have  some  means  of  defense  in  his 
hands,  was  not  selfish  enough  to  disregard  the 
comfort  or  safety  of  others. 

"  I  have  a  brace  of  revolvers,"  replied  the 
man  ;  "  but  that  thing  is  of  no  use  to  me,  for 
I  never  fired  a  gun  in  my  life.  You  will  find 
my  horse  picketed  with  the  others — a  large 
chestnut-sorrel,  with  white  mane  and  tail.  The 
saddle  and  bridle  are  in  the  front  of  the  wagon." 

Archie  thanked  the  man  cordially,  and  won- 
dering where  he  had  lived  all  his  life  that  he 
had  never  learned  to  use  a  rifle,  he  took  the 
saddle  and  bridle  from  the  wagon  and  started 
out  tc  find  the  hcrse. 

Never  before  had  Archie  seen  a  wagon-train 
prepared  for  the  march  in  so  short  a  space  of 


238  FRANK.  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

time.  Every  thing  was  done  in  a  hurry,  and, 
in  less  than  five  minutes,  some  of  the  emigrants 
were  moving  down  the  road  toward  the  prairie. 
He  noticed,  also,  that  now  that  the  excitement 
and  alarm  occasioned  by  the  intelligence  he 
had  brought  had  somewhat  subsided,  silence 
reigned  in  the  camp.  Not  a  loud  word  was 
heard.  The  men  moved  about  their  work  as 
silently  as  specters,  and  spoke  to  their  animals 
in  whispers;  the  screams  had  ceased,  the  chil- 
dren had  stopped  crying,  and  all  seemed  to  un- 
derstand the  necessity  of  making  as  little  noise 
as  possible.  The  horses,  too,  seemed  to  com- 
prehend the  situation,  for  there  were  no  pranc- 
ing or  restless  ones  among  them ;  and  even  the 
wagons  moved  off  with  a  subdued  creaking  of 
their  huge  wheels. 

When  Archie  had  found  and  saddled  his 
horse,  he  began  looking  about  for  the  captain 
of  the  train.  He  had  something  to  say  to  him. 


A.  RIDE  FOR  LIFE.  239 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

A  RIDE  FOR  LIFE. 

A  RCHIE  had  a  plan  to  propose  to  the  wagon- 
**•  master,  and  that  was  that  the  train  should 
be  conducted  first  to  the  Old  Bear's  Hole,  and 
then  to  Fort  Benton.  He  thought  this  would 
be  much  safer  than  to  attempt  a  long  journey 
across  the  plains.  The  Indians  would  certainly 
pass  over  that  road  in  going  from  their  camp  to 
attack  the  settlers  on  the  prairie;  and  it  was 
equally  certain  that  they  would  discover  and 
follow  the  trail  left  by  the  wagons.  If  the  em- 
igrants were  overtaken  in  the  open  country, 
they  could  offer  but  a  feeble  resistance;  but  if 
they  intrenched  themselves  in  the  cave,  they 
could  hold  any  number  of  their  foes  at  bay. 
Archie  explained  this  plan  to  the  captain  when 
he  found  him,  and,  to  his  utter  amazement,  it 
was  rejected  witnout  an  instant's  hesitation. 


240  FRANK  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

"  I  Ve  done  nothing  but  lead  wagon  trains 
across  these  prairies  for  the  last  two  years,"  said 
the  man.  "I've  made  a  business  of  it;  but  I 
never  before  heard  any  thing  about  Indians  on 
'he  war  trail.  You  've  well-nigh  frightened 
the  whole  train  to  death  by  your  cock-and-a- 
bull  story ;  and,  since  the  emigrants  are  bound 
to  turn  back,  I  shall  take  them  to  Fort  Alex- 
ander." 

"  Why,  that 's  farther  off  than  Fort  Benton ! " 
exclaimed  Archie.  "  It  must  be  two  hundred 
miles  from  here." 

"No  difference  if  it's  a  thousand.  I  don't 
know  the  way  to  Benton,  but  I  could  go  to 
Alexander  if  I  was  blindfolded.  And  another 
thing:  wouldn't  I  look  well  trusting  my  own 
life,  and  the  lives  of  these  people,  to  a  boy 
like  you !  I  do  n't  believe  you  ever  saw  an 
Indian." 

"  I  've  seen  more  of  them  than  you  ever  did," 
replied  Archie,  indignantly,  "and  I  have  had 
more  experience  with  them,  if  I  am  from  the 
States,  Mark  my  words  :  Before  morning,  you 
will  wish  you  had  taken  my  advice." 

Archie  left  the  captain  and  fell  back  to  the 


A  RIDE  FOR  LIFE.  241 

wagon  of  the  invalid.  "I  am  much  obliged 
to  you,  sir,  for  the  use  of  your  horse  and  rifle/' 
said  he,  "but  I  must  return  them  now.  The 
wagon-master  is  about  to  undertake  a  journey 
of  two  hundred  miles  across  the  prairie;  and, 
as  I  do  n't  think  it  a  safe  piece  of  business,  I 
am  going  to  leave  the  train  and  start  off  on  my 
own  hook." 

"  Hold  on ! "  exclaimed  the  man,  as  Archie 
dismounted  to  tie  the  horse  to  the  wagon. 
"Where  are  you  going?" 

Archie  unfolded  his  plan  again  for  the  benefit 
of  the  invalid,  adding  that,  as  the  wagon-master 
had  not  seen  fit  to  adopt  it,  it  was  his  inten- 
tion to  go  alone  to  the  Old  Bear's  Hole,  and, 
if  he  did  not  find  Dick  and  Bob  there,  to  strike 
for  Fort  Benton.  The  invalid  listened  atten- 
tively, and,  when  the  boy  ceased  spreaking, 
announced  that  it  was  his  determination  to  ac- 
company him.  This  was  something  that  Archie 
had  not  counted  on,  and  he  did  not  know 
whether  to  be  disappointed  or  delighted.  The 
prospect  of  a  lonely  journey  of  ninety  miles, 
through  a  country  infested  with  hostile  Indians, 
even  though  there  was  a  bare  possibility  that 
16 


242  FRANK  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

he  might  meet  the  trappers  at  the  Old  Bear's 
Hole,  was  by  no  means  a  cheering  one;  and  he 
would  have  been  glad  of  almost  any  company 
except  this  invalid.  If  the  latter  accompanied 
him,  he  would,  of  course,  go  in  his  wagon,  and 
that  was  an  arrangement  the  boy  did  not  like. 
Its  white  cover  could  be  seen  at  a  long  distance, 
dark  as  it  was,  and  if  there  were  any  Indians 
about  it  would  be  certain  to  attract  their  at- 
tention, in  which  case  Archie,  to  save  his  own 
life,  would  be  obliged  to  leave  the  helpless 
emigrant  to  shift  for  himself. 

"  You  will  let  me  go  with  you  ? "  said  the 
invalid,  seeing  that  Archie  hesitated. 

"  That  is  a  matter  which  you  must  decide, 
sir,"  was  the  reply.  "  I  do  not  expect  to  reach 
the  fort  without  trouble;  and  whether  or  not 
you  will  be  safer  with  me  than  with  the  train, 
is  a  question  which  I  can  not  take  the  respon- 
sibility of  answering." 

"  I  will  answer  it  for  myself:  I  shall  go 
with  you." 

Upon  hearing  this,  the  invalid's  teamster, 
who  had  sat  listening  to  the  conversation, 
pulled  up  his  horses  with  a  jerk,  and,  hastily 


A  HIDE  FOR  LIFE.  243 

3ollecting  the  articles  in  the  wagon  which  be- 
longed to  him,  jumped  to  the  ground. 

"What's  the  matter  out  there?"  asked  the 
owner  of  the  wagon.  "  Why  do  n't  you  go  on  ?" 

"  'Cause  I  am  done  with  you ;  that 's  why," 
replied  the  teamster,  gruffly.  "If  you  are  goin' 
into  any  sich  business  as  this — philanderin'  off 
over  the  prairy  with  that  fool  of  a  boy,  who 
will  lose  you  an'  himself  into  the  bargain  in 
less  'n  twenty  niinuTes  arter  you  git  out  of  sight 
of  the  train — you  can  jest  drive  your  own 
wagon.  I  am  goin'  to  stay  with  the  emigrants, 
where  I  know  I  am  safe." 

Every  little  trouble  seems  a  mountain  to  a 
sick  person,  and  when  the  invalid  heard  this, 
he  covered  his  face  with  his  hands  and  cried 
like  a  child.  As  the  teamster  was  about  to 
move  off,  he  looked  up  and  said,  piteously : 

"  Mike,  do  n't  leave  me.  Remember  that  I 
can't  help  myself,  and  that  I  must  have  some 
one  to  defend  me  if  we  get  into  trouble." 

"  I  reckon  my  life  is  worth  as  much  to  me 
as  your'n  is  to  you,"  was  the  rejoinder. 

"Don't  go  yet,  Mike;  hear  what  I  have  to 
say,"  continued  the  invalid.  "I  have  twenty 


244  FRANK   IN  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

thousand  dollars  in  hard  money  in  this  wa^cu, 
and  if  you  will  go  with  me,  and  stick  to  me 
until  we  reach  Fort  Benton,  I  will  give  you 
one-fourth  of  it — five  thousand  dollars.  You 
will  certainly  run  less  risk  in  traveling  ninety 
miles  than  in  going  two  hundred." 

The  teamster  stopped,  and,  walking  slowly 
back  to  the  wagon,  looked  down  at  the  ground 
in  a  brown  study.  Archie,  who  had  watched 
his  face  closely,  noticed  that  he  listened  with 
indifference  to  the  invalid's  appeals  to  his  pity, 
but  at  the  mention  of  the  twenty  thousand 
dollars,  the  expression  of  unconcern  on  his  face 
gave  way  to  a  look  of  astonishment,  and  he 
began  to  listen  more  eagerly.  This  made  it 
plain  enough  to  Archie  that,  if  the  man  con- 
sented to  accompany  the  wagon,  it  would  not 
be  out  of  any  desire  to  respect  the  wishes  of 
his  employer,  or  to  protect  him  if  he  fell  into 
danger,  but  simply  to  earn  the  money  that  had 
been  promised  him. 

*'•  }i  [  had  twenty  thousand  dollars,  or  twenty 
cents,  about  me,  I  should  be  very  careful  not 
to  mention  the  fact  in  the  presence  of  such  a 
man  as  he  is,"  said  Archie,  to  himself.  "He 


A   RIDE   FUR  LIFE.  245 

is  a  villain — I  can  see  it  in  his  eye;  and  I 
hope  he  will  decide  to  remain  with  the  train. 
I  should  feel  quite  as  much  at  ease  among  the 
Indians  as  I  should  with  him  for  company." 

"You  will  not  leave  me,  Mike,"  said  the 
invalid,  in  a  pleading  voice.  "Didn't  I  find 
you  in  the  streets  of  St.  Joseph  in  a  destitute 
condition,  and  have  n't  I  fed,  clothed,  and  paid 
you  well  since  you  have  been  with  me?  Drive 
me  to  Fort  Benton,  and  the  five  thousand  dol- 
lars are  yours.' 

"Wai,  Mr.  Brecker,  you  have  treated  me 
mighty  kind,  that's  a  fact;  and,  now  that  I 
think  of  it,  it  would  be  mean  in  me  to  desert 
you.  But  I  don't  want  to  go  alone — this  boy 
would  be  of  no  account  if  we  should  happen  to 
fall  into  trouble;  and,  if  I  can  get  company, 
I  '11  stick  by  you." 

The  teamster,  without  waiting  to  hear  the 
invalid's  profuse  thanks,  threw  his  bundle  into 
the  wagon  and  hurried  down  the  road  out  of 
sight.  He  returned  in  a  few  minutes,  accom- 
panied by  a  rough,  reckless-looking  man,  with 
whom  he  was  conversing  earnestly.  They 
stopped  at  a  short  distance  from  the  wagon, 


216  FRANK  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

ant1  Archie,  who  was  listening  inte  itly,  over- 
heard a  portion  of  their  conversation.  Mike 
was  urging  the  man  to  accompany  his  employ- 
er's wagon,  and  the  latter  was  holding  back 
through  fear  of  the  Indians. 

"I  tell  you  thar  aint  no  Injuns  on  the 
prairy,"  said  the  teamster.  "That  boy  don't 
know  what  he's  talkin'  about.  The  wagon- 
master  says  so,  and  so  does  every  body  else  in 
the  train,  except  Brecker,  and  he's  a  fool. 
It  '11  be  the  best  job  you  ever  done.  Twenty 
thousand  dollars  aint  picked  off  every  bush 
nowadays." 

Archie  pricked  up  his  ears  when  he  heard 
this.  The  invalid  had  offered  his  teamster  but 
five  thousand  dollars  for  driving  the  wagon  to 
Fort  Benton,  and  yet  the  man  was  talking  as 
though  he  had  promised  him  the  whole  twenty 
thousand.  Archie  began  to  get  excited,  and 
believed  that  the  best  thing  Mr.  Brecker  could 
do  would  be  to  remain  with  the  wagon  train. 

"Are  you  sure  that  you  can  depend  upon  that 
man?"  he  inquired,  addressing  himself  to  the 
invalid. 

"Who- -Mike?     Certainly.     He  is  an  honest 


A  RIDE  FOR  LIFE.  247 

fellow,  and  I  would  trust  him  with  my  'ife. 
Why  do  you  ask  that  question  ?  " 

Archie  did  not  think  it  best  to  give  a  direct 
answer.  The  invalid  was  frightened  nearly  out 
of  his  senses  already,  and  the  boy  had  no  desire 
tc  increase  his  alarm  by  revealing  the  suspi- 
cions that  had  suddenly  arisen  in  his  mind. 
If  Mr.  Brecker  was  willing  to  trust  himself 
and  his  twenty  thousand  dollars  on  the  prairie 
under  the  protection  of  the  teamster,  it  was 
really  no  concern  of  his.  If  Mike  was  an 
honest  man,  however,  he  was  certainly  keeping 
bad  company,  and  Archie  thought  it  might  be 
a  good  plan  to  keep  his  eyes  open  and  be  pre- 
pared for  any  emergency.  He  was  sure  that 
something  exciting  would  happen  during  the 
ride  to  the  Old  Bear's  Hole.  While  he  was 
thinking  the  matter  over,  the  two  men  ap- 
proached the  wagon,  and  Mike  introduced  the 
new-comer  as  his  friend  Bob  Frost,  an  old 
guide  and  Indian  fighter. 

"  He  is  just  the  man  we  want,"  said  the 
invalid.  "  I  shall  feel  safe  now." 

"  In  course  you  can  feel  safe,"  replied  Frost, 
with  a  braggadocio  air  that  made  Archie  puf 


248  FRANK   IN   THE  MOUNTAINS. 

him  down  as  a  coward  at  once.  "Thar  aint 
Injuns  enough  on  the  prairy  to  skeer  me.  I  '11 
take  you  through  to  Fort  Benton  without  no 
trouble.  'T  aint  wuth  while  to  have  that  ar 
youngster  taggin'  arter  us,  though,"  he  added, 
glancing  at  Archie. 

"Why,  he  will  show  us  where  to  go,"  replied 
Mr.  Brecker. 

"  We  do  n't  need  him,  and  he  can't  go,"  said 
Frost,  decidedly.  "  I  know  the  way  to  Fort 
Benton  better  nor  he  does." 

"  I  do  n't  see  how  my  presence  will  interfere 
with  you  in  any  way,"  said  Archie.  "  It  was 
I  who  first  proposed  Fort  Benton  as  a  place 
of  refuge,  and  I  shall  go  there,  whether  you 
are  willing  or  not." 

Frost  had  an  overbearing  air  about  him,  and 
an  insolent  way  of  talking  that  Archie  did  not 
like,  and  he  thought  he  might  as  well  give 
him  to  understand  that  he  was  not  under  his 
control,  and  that  he  should  do  as  he  pleased. 
When  the  man  was  about  to  reply,  Mike  in- 
terrupted him.  The  two  conversed  in  a  low 
tone  for  a  few  minutes,  and  then  sprang  into 
the  wagon  and  drove  after  the  train,  which 


A    RIDE  FOR  LIFE.  249 

was  by  this  time  out  of  sight  in  the  darkness. 
In  half  an  hour  they  reached  the  prairie,  and, 
leaving  the  road,  the  teamster  turned  to  the 
left  and  drove  along  the  edge  of  the  willows 
toward  the  Old  Bear's  Hole. 

The  cover  of  the  wagon  was  open  at  both 
ends,  and  Archie  could  see  every  move  the 
men  made.  They  drove  rapidly  for  awhile, 
and  then,  allowing  the  horses  to  settle  down 
into  a  slow  walk,  entered  into  an  earnest  con- 
versation. The  invalid  tossed  about  uneasily 
on  his  bed,  now  and  then  raising  the  cover  of 
the  wagon,  and  looking  out  over  the  prairie  to 
satisfy  himself  that  there  were  no  savages  in 
sight,  and,  becoming  impatient  at  length,  de- 
sired the  teamster  to  drive  faster. 

"'Taint  safe,"  said  Frost,  who  seemed  to 
have  taken  the  management  of  affairs  into  his 
own  hands.  "  The  faster  we  go  the  more  the 
wheels  rattle;  an'  if  thar  are  any  Injuns  about, 
the  noise  will  lead  them  to  us.  I  say,  young- 
stei !  Mebbe  it  would  be  a  good  plan  fur  you 
to  ride  on  ahead,  an'  see  if  the  way  is  clear." 

Now,  this  was  something  that  Archie  had 
DO  intention  of  doing.  He  had  already  marked 


250  FRANK  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

out  the  course  he  intended  to  pursue,  and  one 
thing  he  had  determined  upon  was,  that  he 
would  not  for  a  moment  lose  sight  of  the  team- 
ster and  his  friend.  He  thought  too  much  of 
his  own  safety,  and,  besides,  he  wanted  tc  be 
at  hand  to  protect  the  invalid ;  for  he  was  sure 
that  he  would  need  somebody's  protection  be- 
fore many  minutes  more  had  passed  over  his 
head.  He  knew,  as  well  as  if  had  been  ex- 
plained to  him  in  so  many  words,  that  the  men 
had  determined  to  take  possession  of  the  twenty 
thousand  dollars,  and  that  the  guide's  sugges- 
tion, that  he  should  ride  on  in  advance,  was 
but  a  plan  to  get  rid  of  him.  Perhaps,  the  mo- 
ment his  back  was  turned,  Frost  would  send  a 
ball  into  him  ;  or,  it  might  be,  that  it  was  his 
intention  to  lose  him  in  the  darkness,  and  then 
dispatch  the  invalid  and  rob  the  wagon.  Archie 
did  not  know  which  of  these  two  courses  of  ac- 
tion the  men  had  decided  upon,  but  he  was  re- 
solved that  neither  of  them  should  prove  suc- 
cessful. 

"  Did  you  hear  what  I  said,  youngster?  "  ex- 
claimed Frost,  angrily. 

"  Oh  yes,  I  heard  you." 


A  RIDE  FOR  LIFE  251 

"  Then  why  do  n't  you  start — why  do  n't  you 
obey  orders?" 

"  Well,  I  have  two  reasons.  In  the  first 
place,  I  do  not  recognize  your  right  to  give  any 
orders ;  and,  even  if  I  did,  I  should  pay  no 
attention  to  them,  as  long  as  you  issue  them  in 
that  insolent  tone  of  voice.  In  the  next  place, 
if  it  is  all  the  same  to  you,  I  prefer  to  ride 
behind." 

•     "  Then  you  can  stay  behind.     You  can  jest 
toddle  back  to  the  wagon  train." 

"  I  am  not  going  that  way.  My  route  lies 
in  this  direction." 

"  Wai,  then,  travel  on  ahead,"  roared  the 
guide,  growing  angrier  every  moment.  "  We 
do  n't  want  you  hangin'  about  us  no  longer." 

"  Oh,  do  n't  send  him  off,"  cried  the  invalid. 
"  He  is  going  to  show  us  the  way  to  a  safe 
hiding-place." 

"  You  need  not  be  at  all  uneasy,  Mr.  Breck- 
er,"  said  Archie.  "  I  have  not  the  least  inten- 
tion of  leaving  you  alone  with,  these  men." 

"  Haiiit  you  ?  "  exclaimed  Frost.  "  Mike, 
pull  up  them  hosses.  I  '11  soon  fix  him." 

The  time  for  action  had  come,  and  Archie 


252  FRANK  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

was  ready  for  it.  As  the  teamster  stopped  the 
horses,  and  Frost  leaped  to  the  ground,  he  rode 
up  to  the  wagon,  and,  thrusting  his  hand  un- 
der the  cover,  pulled  out  the  invalid's  revolv- 
ers. He  knew  just  where  to  find  them,  for  lit 
had  seen  their  owner  place  them  beside  him  on 
the  mattress,  where  he  could  seize  them  at  an 
instant's  warning. 

"What's  the  matter?"   cried  Mr.  Brecker> 
in  great  alarm.     "  What  are  you  going  to  do' 
with  those  pistols?" 

Archie  could  not  stop  to  reply.  He  grasped 
a  revolver  in  each  hand,  and  covering  the  team- 
ster's head  with  one  of  the  weapons,  pointed 
the  other  at  the  guide,  who  at  that  moment 
came  around  the  end  of  the  wagon.  The  former 
dropped  the  reins,  and  turned  pale  with  terror ; 
but  Frost,  who  was  in  too  great  a  hurry,  and 
too  highly  enraged  to  notice  any  thing,  ran 
up  to  Archie,  and  seized  his  horse  by  the 
bridle. 

"  Now,  my  lad,"  said  he,  savagely ;  "  climb 
down " 

"  Take  your  hand  off  that  bridle ! "  inter- 
rupted Archie. 


A  RIDE  FOR  LIFE.  253 

Frost  now  looked  up  for  the  first  time,  and 
seeing  the  shining  barrel  of  the  six-shooter  lev- 
eled full  at  his  head,  uttered  a  cry  of  alarm, 
and  staggered  back  as  if  he  were  about  to  fall 
lo  the  ground.  The  man  who  boasted  that  he 
had  never  seen  Indians  enough  to  frighten  him, 
was  thoroughly  cowed  by  a  sixteen-year-old 
boy. 

"'  Drop  that  knife  !  "  commanded  Archie,  and 
the  bowie  which  the  guide  held  in  his  hand 
fell  to  the  ground  instantly.  "  Look  out  there, 
M'ke!  I  am  watching  you,  and  if  you  attempt 
to  pick  up  a  weapon  it  will  be  the  last  of  you. 
Now,  Frost,"  he  added,  waving  one  of  his  re- 
volvers over  the  prairie  in  the  direction  he 
supposed  the  wagon  train  to  be,  "  make  tracks. 
Do  n't  stop  to  talk,  but  clear  out  at  once. 
Mr.  Brecker  and  his  money  are  safe  while  I 
am  about.  Why  don't  you  obey  orders? 
One two ' 

The  guide  did  not  wait  to  hear  any  more 
(he  was  afraid  that  when  the  "three"  came 
out,  a  bullet  would  come  with  it],  but  hurried 
off  at  once,  and  without  utter,  ng  a  word. 
Archie  kept  one  of  his  revolvers  pointed  at 


254  FRANK  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

him  as  long  as  he  remained  in  sight,  and  then 
turned  to  the  teamster. 

"Now,  Mike,  it's  your  turn,"  said  he,  giv- 
ing emphasis  to  his  words  by  pointing  both 
his  weapons  at  the  man's  head.  "Jump  down 
from  that  wagon,  and  follow  your  partner. 
When  I  count  three,  I  am  going  to  send  two 
bullets  over  the  seat  on  which  you  are  now 
sitting." 

Had  Archie  fulfilled  this  threat,  the  bullets 
would  have  passed  through  the  empty  air;  for 
Mike,  taking  him  at  his  word,  leaped  to  the 
ground  and  walked  off,  shaking  his  head  and 
muttering  to  himself.  That  part  of  the  work 
was  done,  and  now  came  a  more  difficult  task, 
and  that  was  to  quiet  the  invalid,  who  seemed 
to  be  on  the  point  of  going  into  a  fit  of  hys- 
terics. Archie  soothed  him  as  best  he  could, 
assuring  him  that  the  danger  M^as  passed,  and 
that  there  was  nothing  more  to  be  apprehended 
from  the  would-be  robbers,  but  his  words 
seemed  to  have  no  other  effect  than  to  increase 
the  invalid's  agitation.  The  boy  did  not  know 
what  to  do ;  and,  while  he  was  considering  the 
matter,  the  reports  of  rifles  suddenly  rang  out 


A  RIDE  F  )K  LIFE.  255 

on  the  air,  followed  by  a  chorus  of  savage  yells 
which  made  the  cold  chills  creep  all  over  him. 
The  Indians  had  overtaken  and  attacked  the 
train.  As  quick  as  thought  Archie  dismounted, 
and  after  tying  his  horse  to  the  wagon,  sprang 
iato  the  driver's  seat,  and  seized  the  reins  and 
whip. 

What  happened  during  the  next  two  hours 
Archie  could  scarcely  have  told.  He  tried 
many  a  time  afterward  to  recall  the  incidents 
of  that  wild  ride,  but  all  that  he  could  remem- 
ber was  that  he  clung  to  the  reins  with  one 
hand,  and  swung  the  whip  with  the  other,  un- 
til his  arm  was  so  tired  that  he  could  hardly 
raise  it  to  his  shoulder;  that  the  spirited  horses 
never  broke  their  mad  gallop  from  the  time  they 
left  the  willows,  until  he  checked  them  on  the 
banks  of  a  little  creek,  twenty  miles  from  the 
base  of  the  mountains,  where  he  stopped  to  ob- 
tain a  few  minutes'  rest ;  that  the  heavy  wagon 
rocked  and  groaned  like  a  vessel  in  a  gale  of 
wind,  as  the  frantic  horses  dragged  it  over  the 
prairie,  up  one  swell  and  down  another — bound- 
ing over  buffalo  wallows  and  gullies,  which  at 
any  other  time  would  have  effectually  checked 


256  FRANK  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

its  progress; — he  remembered  this  as  if  it  had 
been  a  dream ;  and  when  he  came  to  himself, 
he  was  sitting  on  the  ground  beside  the  wagon, 
the  horses  were  standing  knee-deep  in  water, 
and  the  invalid  was  staring  at  him  with  a  be- 
wildered air,  like  a  man  just  aroused  from  a 
sound  sleep. 

"Where  are  we?"  asked  the  latter,  in  a 
scarcely  audible  voice. 

"  We  seem  to  be  in  a  grove  of  willows  on 
the  banks  of  a  creek,"  replied  Archie;  "but 
how  long  we  have  been  here,  and  how  we  came 
here  in  the  first  place,  I  scarcely  know.  What 
is  that  noise?" 

Archie  was  himself  now,  and  all  his  senses 
were  on  the  alert.  He  heard  the  tramping  of 
horses'  feet  on  the  other  side  of  the  willows, 
and,  jumping  up,  he  clambered  into  the  wagon 
and  seized  the  whip;  but  the  jaded  horses  re- 
fused to  move.  One  of  them  lay  down  in  the 
•water,  and  before  Archie  could  compel  him  to 
get  upon  his  feet  again,  the  willows  on  the  bank 
were  dashed  aside,  and  a  company  of  horsemen 
came  into  view.  They  were  not  Indians,  how- 
ever, but  cavalrymen  from  Fort  Ben  ton. 


CONCLUSION.  257 


CHAPTER  XV. 

CONCLUSION. 

V1TI1EN  Adam  Brent  saw  the  outlaw  prepar- 
ing to  jump  down  upon  him,  he  gave 
himself  up  for  lost.  He  was  not  able  to  defend 
himself  from  the  assault  of  that  strong  man, 
and  neither  did  he  expect  assistance  from  any 
source;  and  when  he  saw  the  panther  spring 
from  his  hiding-place  among  the  rocks,  and 
fall  with  Black  Bill  to  the  bottom  of  the  cave, 
he  was  so  amazed  and  bewildered,  that,  for  a 
moment,  he  could  scarcely  believe  the  evidence 
o  f  his  eyes.  He  forgot  Black  Bill,  and  every 
tl  lag  else,  in  the  reflection  that  he  had  passed 
a  portion  of  the  night  in  the  cavern  with  that 
savage  animal,  and  that  he  had  slept  while  his 
glaring  eyes  were  fastened  upon  him.  Regard- 
less of  being  seen  by  the  outlaws,  he  looked 

over  .the  bowlder,  and   watched  the  struggle 
17 


258  FRANK  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

that  was  going  on  br /ow.  He  had  nev  ir  wit- 
nessed so  desperate  a  fight  before,  and,  although 
he  was  intensely  alarmed,  he  retained  his  wits 
sufficiently  to  notice  that  the  panther  was  get- 
ting the  best  of  it,  and  that  he  was  in  a  fair 
way  to  clear  the  cave  of  his  enemies.  The 
bullets  which  Black  Bill's  friends  had  fired  at 
him,  if  they  had  hit  him  at  all,  had  only  served 
to  render  him  more  furious. 

When  Adam  first  looked  over  the  bowlder, 
the  combatants  were  tumbling  about  on  the 
ground,  the  men  using  their  knives,  and  the 
panther  striking  right  and  left  with  his  claws, 
and  growling  fiercely.  In  a  moment  the  scene 
changed.  Black  Bill  was  lying  motionless 
where  he  had  fallen ;  one  of  the  outlaws,  with 
his  face  terribly  lacerated,  was  rolling  about, 
uttering  piercing  cries  of  pain  and  terror ;  the 
other,  who  was  the  only  one  uninjured,  was 
trying  to  climb  up  the  sides  of  the  cave  out 
of  reach  of  his  dangerous  antagonist ;  and  the 
panther  was  crouching  low  on  the  ground, 
looking  toward  .the  passage-way,  where  stood  a 
couple,  of  trappers  who  had  entered  unobserved. 
.-.  "  Seiid  a  chunk  of  lead  into  the  critter,  Dick; 


CONCLUSION.  259 

thar's  rny  game,"  said  Bob  Kelly,  pointing 
toward  the  prostrate  form  of  his  old  enemy. 

The  panther,  lashing  his  sides  with  his  tail, 
sprang  into  the  air,  but  was  met  half  way  by 
a  bullet  sent  by  an  unerring  hand,  and  fell 
dead  almost  at  the  feet  of  the  old  trapper,  who 
ran  into  the  cave,  and  bent  over  Black  Bill's 
motionless  figure;  while  Dick  collared  the  un- 
injured outlaw,  and  held  him  fast. 

"  We  're  too  late,  Dick,"  exclaimed  Bob,  after 
he  had  taken  one  glance  at  his  insensible  foe. 
"  I  've  waited  an'  watched  fur  him  all  these 
years  to  be  cheated  at  last  by  a  painter.  The 
critter's  done  the  work  fur  him." 

Dick's  prisoner  seemed  astonished  beyond 
measure  at  the  sudden  appearance  of  the  trap- 
pers. He  never  thought  of  resistance,  but 
readily  surrendered  his  knife,  and  begged  lus- 
tily for  quarter.  His  captor  looked  at  him  with 
an  expression  of  great  contempt  on  his  honest 
countenance. 

"You're  a  purty  feller,  to  lead  wild  Injuns 
agin  peaceable  tradin'-posts,  an'  then  when 
you're  k etched  ask  fur  quarter,  aint  you?"  he 
exclaimed.  ".If  me  a'n'  Bob  were  Tike  Tre  used 


260  FRANK  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

to  be,  all  your  hollerin'  an'  beggin'  wouldn't 
do  you  no  'arthly  good  whatsomever;  but  we 
lived  among  white  folks  a  good  while,  an* 
we've  larnt  that  thar  is  law,  even  on  the 
prairy,  fur  jest  sich  fellers  as  you.  We'll 
take  you  to  Fort  Benton,  that 's  what  we  '11  do 
with  you,  an'  if  you  aint  hung  fur  your  mean- 
ness, I  shall  allers  think  you'd  oughter  be. 
Hallo !  Come  down  from  thar,  you  keerless 
feller!" 

The  trapper  had  discovered  Adam  looking  at 
him  over  the  top  of  the  bowlder.  He  thought 
it  was  Archie,  and  he  was  a  good  deal  disap- 
pointed when  he  found  that  it  was  not.  He 
asked  a  good  many  questions  concerning  the 
missing  boy,  but  Adam  knew  nothing  about 
him.  Archie  had  left  him  while  he  was  sit- 
ting by  the  fire  in  the  soldiers'  quarters,  run- 
ning bullets,  and  he  had  not  seen  him  since. 

"  Never  mind,"  said  Dick ;  "  he  '11  turn  up 
all  right  yet.  He's  got  a  heap  of  sense,  that 
little  feller  has,  an'  grit,  too ;  an'  they  '11  bring 
him  safe  out  of  any  scrape  he  can  get  into. 
Now,  where 's  Frank,  I  wonder?  The  last 
time  I  s'efed  him  t-liat  boss  o.f  his'n  was  caYrsrin' 


CONCLUSION.  2&1 

him  through  the  ravine  like  a  streak  of  light- 
nin'.  It  would  take  two  or  three  sich  men  is 
I  be  to  watch  that  oneasy  feller." 

Dick  shouldered  his  rifle,  and  hi  rried  out  in 
search  of  Frank,  while  Bob,  after  binding  the 
prisoner,  busied  himself  in  setting  things  to 
rights.  In  half  an  hour  the  Old  Bear's  Hole 
presented  a  scene  that  was  a  cheering  one  to 
our  weary  fugitives.  The  fire  was  burning 
brightly  again,  the  body  of  the  outlaw  had 
been  removed,  and  all  traces  of  the  fight  which 
had  taken  place  there  but  a  few  minutes  before, 
\vere  concealed  by  the  leaves  which  the  old 
trapper  had  pulled  out  of  the  lower  passage- 
way and  spread  over  the  floor  of  the  cave. 
Dick  had  returned  with  Frank,  who  was  so 
jubilant  over  his  success  that,  for  a  long  time, 
he  could  talk  about  nothing  else.  He  felt  par- 
ticularly proud  of  the  result  of  the  race  he  had 
just  run.  Roderick  had  fairly  vanquished  his 
swift  rival,  and  Frank,  after  a  protracted  rough- 
and-tumble  fight,  had  overpowered  and  bound 
the  Black  Fox.  The  young  hunter  now  lay 
stretched  out  on  the  ground  in  front  of  the  fire, 
one  hand  supporting  his  head,  and  his  eyes 


262  FRANK   IN  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

fastened  upon  his  prisoner,  who  sat  sullenly  in 
a  remote  corner  of  the  cave.  Adam  lay  near 
him,  watching  the  movements  of  the  trappers, 
one  of  whom  was  engaged  in  cutting  up  the 
elk,  and  the  other  in  superintending  the  broil- 
ing of  several  steaks,  which  he  had  placed  on 
the  coals.  In  the  corner,  opposite  the  entrance, 
sat  the  outlaws — the  remnant  of  Black  Bill's 
band.  The  one  who  had  been  wounded  during 
his  fight  with  the  panther,  was  too  severely  in- 
jured, and  too  thoroughly  cowed  by  the  pres- 
ence of  the  trappers,  to  attempt  escape,  and  con- 
sequently he  was  not  confined ;  but  the  others 
were  bound  hand  and  foot. 

"  Things  are  comin'  out  all  right  at  last,  aint 
they?"  said  Dick,  turning  the  steaks  with  his 
knife.  "  If  I  could  only  see  Archie  settin' 
somewhere  about  this  fire,  an'  could  hear  him 
laughin'  an'  goin'  on  like  he  allers  does,  I 
should  be  jest  as  happy  as  I  want  to  be.  A 
good  many  of  the  fellers  that  left  the  Colorado 
with  us  we'll  never  see  agin,  but  I'll  bet  a 
hoss  that  we  will  find  every  one  of  our  crowd 
at  Fort  Benton,  when  we  get  thar.  I  come 
out  without  a  scratch,  an'  so  did  Frank  an' 


CONCLUSION.  263 

Adam ;  Bob,  here,  has  got  a  hole  in  his  head, 
made  by  a  tomahawk,  an'  another  in  his  arm, 
made  by  a  bullet;  but  he's  as  sassy  and  full 
of  fight  as  ever." 

"  Did  you  recognize  Bob  when  he  was  play- 
ing the  part  of  medicine-man  ?"  asked  Frank. 

"  Sartin  I  did.  I  've  knowed  the  ole  feller 
since  I  was  a  boy  no  bigger  nor  you,  an'  I  've 
seed  him  when  he  looked  wusser  nor  he  did  in 
that  doctor's  dress.  I  knowed  I  was  safe  the 
minute  I  seed  him  come  into  the  village." 

"How  did  you  obtain  possession  of  that  dis- 
guise?" inquired  Frank,  turning  to  the  old 
trapper. 

"Easy  enough.  Arter  Dick  was  captured, 
I  hung  around  the  camp  in  the  edge  of  the 
woods,  waitin'  fur  a  chance  to  do  something 
fur  him.  I  happened  to  meet  the  medicine- 
man, an',  thinkin'  that  I  could  make  better 
use  of  his  rig  nor  he  could,  I  jest  knocked  him 
over." 

The  supper,  which  Dick  now  pronounced 
ready,  did  not  put  a  stop  to  the  conversation, 
for  there  was  much  to  talk  about.  Adam  told 
had  happened  at  the  cave  during  Frank's 


264  FRANK  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

absence,  and  the  latter  described  his  adventures, 
from  his  unsuccessful  attempt  to  liberate  his 
cousin  down  to  the  time  he  met  the  trappers 
in  the  ravine.  Dick  and  Bob  were  astonished 
at  the  reckless  courage  he  had  exhibited.  The 
former,  as  usual,  called  him  a  "  keerless  feller/' 
and  Bob  declared  that  he  would  make  a  trap- 
per "  wuth  lookin'  at."  Then  Dick  told  how 
he  had  seen  Bob  captured  while  they  were  cut- 
ting their  way  out  of  the  fort,  and  how  he  had 
gone  into  the  camp  in  the  disguise  of  a  wounded 
Indian  to  assist  him  in  making  his  escape. 
When  he  liberated  Archie,  however,  he  found 
that  Bob  had  already  eluded  his  enemies ;  and, 
after  wandering  about  the  camp  until  he  found 
a  rifle  which  he  could  take  possession  of  with- 
out attracting  attention,  he  returned  to  his 
horse,  which  he  had  left  hidden  in  the  bushes, 
and  soon  overtook  his  chum,  who  was  on  his 
way  to  the  Old  Bear's  Hole. 

When  the  boys  had  satisfied  their  appetites, 
they  lay  down  on  the  leaves  and  went  to  sleep, 
while  Dick  set  out  in  search  of  Archie,  leaving 
Bob  to  watch  the  boys  and  the  prisoners  during 
his  absence.  He  was  gone  all  day,  and  when 


CONCLUSION.  265 

he  returned  he  was  not  as  hopeful  as  when  he 
left  in  the  morning.  He  had  met  no  Indians, 
he  reported,  but  he  had  seen  the  ruins  of  a 
wagon  train,  which  had  been  attacked  and 
burned.  If  Archie  was  with  that  train,  the 
probabilities  were  that  they  would  never  see 
him  again. 

After  another  hearty  meal  on  venison,  the 
fugitives  set  out  for  Fort  Ben  ton,  accompanied 
by  their  four  prisoners — the  trappers  on  foot, 
and  the  boys  and  the  wounded  outlaw  riding 
the  horses.  They  traveled  all  that  night,  and 
at  noon  the  next  day  arrived  within  sight  of  the 
walls  of  the  fort.  The  very  first  person  they 
saw  was  Archie  Winters,  who  galloped  out  on 
the  chestnut-sorrel,  swinging  his  hat  around  his 
head,  and  shouting  like  one  demented. 

"Not  one  of  our  crowd  is  missing  now,"  he 
yelled,  when  he  had  embraced  his  cousin  and 
Adam,  and  shaken  the  trappers  warmly  by  the 
hand.  "  Captain  Porter  and  Mr.  Brent  came 
in  last  night.  As  I  live,  there 's  my  horse, 
which  I  never  expected  to  see  again.  And  isn't 
that  Pete?  Hurrah  for  every  body!  except  the 
Indians  and  the  outlaws." 


266  FRANK   IN  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

Almost  the  first  thing  the  cousins  discussed 
was  the  race  between  Roderick  and  King  James. 
Archie  listened  attentively  to  his  cousin's  story, 
and  when  it  was  concluded  he  said,  in  a  tone  jf 
voice  which  showed  very  plainly  that  he  was 
not  yet  willing  to  give  up  beaten: 

"  The  speed  of  a  horse  depends  a  good  deal 
upon  the  driver.  I  know  that  the  Black  Fox 
was  riding  for  his  liberty,  but  I  do  n't  believe 
he  made  King  James  run  as  swiftly  as  I  could, 
if  I  had  been  on  his  back.  But,  since  you  were 
kind  enough  to  recapture  the  horse  for  me,  I 
will  settle  the  matter  by  riding  a  race  with 
you  at  the  very  first  opportunity — that  is,  if 
you  say  so." 

"  Of  course  I  say  so,"  replied  Frank. 
"Archie,  you  do  crawl  out  of  little  holes  when 
you  are  cornered,  do  n't  you  ?  I  '11  beat  you  so 
badly  that  you  will  never  boast  of  your  horse's 
epeed  again." 

Although  the  boys  were  very  jubilant,  and 
often  congratu  ated  one  another  on  the  good 
fortune  that  had  attended  their  "  crowd,"  they 
still  had  much  to  be  sorry  for.  Of  the  twenty 
trappers  who  had  accompanied  them  across  the 


CONCLUSION.  267 

plains  from  Fort  Yuma,  only  seven  remained. 
More  than  one  brave  fellow  mourned  the  loss 
of  his  chum,  who  had  fallen  by  the  hands  of 
the  Indians,  and  the  boys  heartily  smpathized 
with  them,  one  and  all.  But  still  the  expedi- 
tion was  not  abandoned,  and  neither  was  the 
departure  from  the  fort  long  delayed.  After  a 
consultation  with  the  trappers,  Captain  Porter 
decided  to  pass  the  winter  on  the  Saskatchewan ; 
and  the  morning  of  the  third  day  after  their 
arrival  at  the  fort,  found  the  cousins  ready  for 
the  journey.  Archie  took  leave  of  the  invalid, 
who,  to  show  his  gratitude  for  the  services  the 
boy  hud  rendered,  offered  him  half  his  twenty 
thousand  dollars ;  and  when  Archie  declined 
to  accept,  he  insisted  on  presenting  him  with 
his  horse  and  rifle.  The  expedition  was  as 
well  equipped  now  as  when  it  left  the  Colo- 
rado, for  the  captain  had  procured  a  supply 
of  weapons,  traps,  pack-mules,  and  provi- 
sions from  a  trader  who  happened  to  be  at 
the  fort. 

"  Good-by,  Adam,"  said  Frank,  who  stood 
with  one  hand  clasping  his  friend's,  and  the 
other  holding  the  impatient  Roderick  by  the 


268  FRANK  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

bridle.     "  We  have  seen  some  stirring  ^i 
during  our  short  acquaintance,  and  you  will 
not  be  likely  to  forgot  us  soon,  will  you  ?  " 

"  I  '11  never  forget  you,"  replied  Adam, 
earnestly.  "  If  it  had  n't  been  for  you,  Frank, 
I  should  now  be  a  prisoner  in  the  hands  of  the 
outlaws.  I  tell  you,  fellows,  my  ideas  concern- 
ing boys  from  the  States  have  changed  wonder- 
fully since  I  first  met  you.  You  can  both  beat 
me  riding  and  shooting,  and  you  take  to  the 
mountains  as  naturally  as  though  you  had  been 
born  here." 

When  the  farewells  had  been  said,  Adam  re- 
turned slowly  and  sorrowfully  to  his  quarters 
in  the  fort,  and  the  cousins  galloped  after  the 
trappers,  who  had  already  disappeared  behind 
the  distant  swells. 

The  adventures  we  have  attempted  to  describe 
in  this  volume  form  but  a  small  portion  of  the 
history  of  the  life  Frank  and  Archie  led  while 
they  remained  with  Captain  Porter.  If  space 
would  allow,  we  might  tell  of  many  interesting 
events  that  happened  during  the  winter  they 
passed  upon  the  banks  of  the  Saskatchewan. 
We  might  describe  the  races  which  came  off 


CONCLUSION.  269 

between  the  rival  horses,  in  every  one  of  which 
the  gallant  little  black  was  as  badly  beaten  aa 
ever  Sleepy  Sam  had  been.  Although  Archie, 
at  first,  found  any  number  of  "  little  holes  to 
crawl  out  of,"  he  was  finally  obliged  to  confess 
that  Roderick  was  the  swifter  horse.  We  might 
tell  of  the  rivalry  which  existed  between  the 
boys,  and  which  seemed  to  grow  stronger  every 
day,  affording  infinite  amusement  to  the  trap- 
pers, who  praised  first  one,  and  then  the  other, 
to  incite  them  to  greater  deeds  of  valor;  how 
Frank  took  the  lead  by  killing  a  grizzly  bear, 
alone  and  unaided,  and  Archie,  to  be  even 
with  him,  nearly  broke  King  James's  neck, 
and  his  own  into  the  bargain,  by  attempting 
to  capture  a  wild  horse.  That  was  a  proud 
day  for  Archie,  for  he  actually  succeeded  in 
lassoing  one  of  the  drove;  but,  unfortunately, 
the  lariat  was  insecurely  fastened  to  his  saddle, 
and  the  wild  steed  made  his  escape  after  all, 
carrying  the  lasso  with  him.  All  the  trappers 
voted  that  this  exploit  was  fully  equal  to  the 
killing  of  a  grizzly,  and  that,  if  Frank  wished 
to  take  the  lead  again,  he  must  trap  or  shoot  < 
another  b'nar.  We  might  recount  the  adven- 


270  FRANK  15  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

tures  that  befell  them  during  the  two  weeks 
they  were  lost  in  the  mountains,  living  in  a 
little  hut  they  had  built  under  the  shelter  of 
a  friendly  cliff,  which  effectually  protected 
them  from  the  fury  of  the  snow-storms — enjoy- 
ing splendid  shooting  in  the  meantime,  and 
experiencing  not  a  single  fear  but  that  "every 
thing  would  come  out  all  right"  in  the  end. 
We  might  tell  of  the  long  winter  evenings  they 
passed  listening  to  the  trappers'  stories;  and 
of  the  days,  too,  when  they  never  stirred  out 
of  the  cabin,  because  they  were  snowed  under 
and  could  not  get  out.  This  was  the  poetry 
of  the  life  they  led  during  that  long-to-be- 
remembered  winter,  and  then  came  the  prose. 
Their  provisions  gradually  disappeared;  game 
became  scarce;  the  snow  filled  up  the  mountain 
passes  to  the  depth  of  forty  feet,  and  covered 
all  their  traps;  their  horses  and  mules  were 
killed  and  eaten,  and  finally  but  one  single 
horse  remained  besides  Roderick  and  King 
James,  and  that  was  Pete.  His  time  came  at 
last,  and  then  the  cousins  looked  at  one  another 
with  a  most  doleful  expression  on  thei  •  hunger- 
pintihed  faces. 


CONCLUSION.  271 

"  It  can't  be  helped,  boys,"  said  Captain 
Porter.  "  We  must  live,  and  one  horse  ia 
about  as  good  as  another,  any  how.  I  have 
twenty-five  hundred  of  them  on  my  rancho,  and 
when  we  get  home  you  can  take  your  pick  of 
the  lot." 

"  Do  you  suppose  I  could  ever  find  a  horse  that 
would  suit  me  as  well  as  King  James?"  whis- 
pered Archie,  drawing  the  captain  off  on  one 
side.  "No,  I  couldn't;  but  take  him  and  save 
Roderick,  if  you  can.  Frank  thinks  so  much 
of  that  horse  I  should  n't  like  to  see  him  killed." 

Frank  saw  the  whispered  conversation  going 
on,  and,  suspecting  something  at  once,  took 
Dick  into  his  confidence.  "I  know  what  they 
are  talking  about,"  said  he,  "and  I  am  not 
going  to  have  any  one  make  sacrifices  for  me. 
When  you  get  up  in  the  morning,  go  out 
and  shoot  Roderick.  It  would  be  a  severe 
blow  to  Archie  to  lose  his  horse,  and  I  will 
prevent  it  as  long  as  I  can." 

The  trappers,  knowing  how  hard  it  would 
be  for  the  boys  to  part  with  their  favorites, 
hunted  all  that  day  without  any  food  at  all} 
jtijd  wlKSu  they  returned  to  the  camp  that  night, 


272  FRANK   IN  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

they  brought  four  big-horns  and  an  elk.  That 
hunt  saved  the  lives  of  the  horses,  for,  in  a 
day  or  two,  the  snow  began  to  melt,  game  be- 
came more  abundant,  and  things  looked  bright 
again.  It  had  been  a  narrow  escape  for  their 
favorites,  however,  and  the  boys,  fearing  that 
they  might  again  be  placed  in  the  same  situa- 
tion, became  impatient  to  begin  the  homeward 
journey.  Besides,  they  had  seen  quite  enough 
of  perilous  adventure,  were  heartily  tired  of 
life  in  the  mountains,  and  longed  for  the 
society  of  their  friends  once  more.  To  their 
great  delight,  their  departure  from  the  Sas- 
katchewan was  not  long  delayed.  One  bright, 
spring  morning,  they  started  for  Fort  Churchill, 
where  the  captain  procured  a  supply  of  horses 
and  pack-mules,  and,  after  a  fatiguing  ride  of 
nearly  two  months,  the  cousins  found  them- 
selves once  more  in  Uncle  James's  rancho. 
They  met  new  faces  there,  for  Mr.  Winters 
had  sold  his  farm  and  stock,  and  the  purchaser 
had  taken  possession  of  the  premises. 

There  was  nothing  now  to  detain  them  in 
California,  and  after  a  few  days  spent  in  tak- 
tog  Ifeave  df  their  acquaintances— -thtey  found 


CONCLUSION.  273 

it  an  exceedingly  difficult  task  to  say  good-by 
to  Dick  and  Bob — the'  cousins  took  passage  on 
board  a  steamer  for  Portland.  In  four  weeks 
more  the  little  cottage  on  the  banks  of  Oen's 
Creek  was  filled  with  a  happy  party,  including 
Archie's  father  and  mother,  and  Uncle  James. 
Things  began  to  wear  their  old  accustomed 
look  again.  The  Speedwell  once  more  rode 
proudly  at  her  moorings  in  the  creek  (her  sail- 
ing qualities  had  not  been  injured  in  the  least 
by  her  fourteen  months  of  idleness,  and  she 
was  still  able  to  beat  the  swiftest  boat  about  the 
village),  the  door  of  the  museum  was  open  every 
day,  and  there  was  plenty  of  work  being  done 
there.  A  stand  had  been  erected  in  the  middle 
of  the  room,  and  it  was  already  filled  with 
specimens  which  excited  the  wonder  and  ad- 
miration of  the  village  boys.  "  Old  Davy " 
was  there,  stuffed  and  mounted,  and  looking  so 
life-like  that  Archie  said  he  almost  expected  to 
see  him  jump  down  from  the  stand  and  come 
at  him.  Then  there  were  three  smaller  griz- 
zlies, two  elk,  as  many  Rocky  Mountain  goats, 
and  the  prong-horn  they  had  killed  on  the  day 
they  were  lost  on  the  prairie. 
18 


274  FRANK  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

In  Frank's  room  some  changes  had  been 
made.  There  were  more  pictures  on  the  walls 
now,  and  among  them  was  the  identical  one 
which  Pierre  Castello  had  removed  from  its 
hook  on  the  night  he  tried  to  compel  Frank  to 
tell  where  he  had  hidden  the  office  key.  The 
picture  was  hanging  from  the  same  hook  over 
which  the  Ranchero  had  thrown  the  lasso  when 
he  pulled  Frank  up  by  the  neck,  and  the  lasso 
itself  was  there  also — or,  rather,  all  there  was 
left  of  it.  The  "sporting  cabnet,"  which  hung 
on  the  frame  at  the  foot  of  the  bed,  had  received 
several  additions  in  the  shape  of  rifles,  revolv- 
ers, and  hunting-knives;  and  the  hooks  at  the 
top  of  the  frame  supported  the  bow,  quiver  of 
arrows,  and  tomahawk  which  Frank  had  cap- 
tured from  the  Black  Fox.  An  apartment  in 
the  book-case,  which  contained  the  stuffed  birds, 
was  devoted  to  the  other  relics  which  the  boys 
had  collected  during  their  absence.  There  were 
knives,  pistols,  and  carbines  from  Don  Carlos' 
rancho;  a  piece  of  the  "bridge  of  clouds,"  at 
which  the  trappers  had  been  to  badly  frightened ; 
a  portion  of  the  flat-boat  which  had  carried 
the  horses  across  the  creek;  and  also  the  Ian- 


CONCLUSION.  275 

tern  which  Archie  had  used  in  the  stable. 
There  were  stone  arrow  and  spear  heads,  and 
necklaces  of  bears'  claws  from  Fort  Benton; 
elk  horns  from  the  Saskatchewan;  and  Mexican 
dresses,  spurs,  lassos,  and  a  saddle  and  bridle 
from  Southern  California.  In  short,  the  room 
was  almost  as  much  of  a  curiosity-shop  as  the 
museum  itself. 

The  barn  had  two  more  occupants  now,  and 
they  were  Roderick  and  King  James.  The 
horses  had  been  so  intimately  connected  with 
their  adventures  on  the  plains  and  in  the  mount- 
ains, and  the  boys  had  become  so  greatly  at- 
tached to  them,  that  they  could  not  think  of 
leaving  them  behind.  They  were  plump  and 
fat  now,  looking  very  unlike  the  poor,  scraggy 
animals  which  had  so  narrowly  escaped  being 
served  up  at  the  camp  fire,  and  many  a  pleas- 
ant morning  gallop  had  the  boys  taken  with 
them  over  the  breezy  hills  with  which  Law- 
rence was  surrounded. 

Frank  had  brought  another  old  friend  with 
him,  and  that  was  Marmion.  Brave  at  first 
regarded  the  new-comer  with  suspicion;  but 
being,  like  his  master,  of  a  kind  and  accommo- 


276  FRANK  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

dating  disposition,  he  made  overtures  of  friend- 
ship, to  which  the  ill-mannered  Marmion  re- 
sponded by  taking  Brave  down  and  giving  him 
a  good  shaking.  But  the  Newfoundland  was 
like  his  master  in  another  respect :  he  was  hard 
to  whip;  and,  before  the  boys  could  separate 
the  combatants,  he  gave  his  fierce  antagonist  a 
drubbing  that  must  have  astonished  him.  At 
any  rate,  Marmion  howled  lustily  for  quarter, 
and  the  next  time  Brave  made  advances,  they 
were  more  graciously  received.  The  dogs  were 
now  living  very  peaceably,  Brave  occupying 
his  kennel  by  the  back  porch,  and  Marmion 
sleeping  in  the  barn.  They  ate  out  of  the  same 
dish,  without  any  quarreling  over  the  tit-bits, 
always  accompanied  their  master  wherever  he 
went,  and  if  one  got  into  trouble  with  the  vil- 
lage curs,  the  other  always  lent  prompt  and 
effective  assistance. 

The  cousins  had  not  forgotten  the  quiet 
sports  they  had  so  often  enjoyed  in  the  days 
gone  by.  Their  fishing-rods  and  double-barrels 
came  as  readily  to  their  hands  as  ever ;  squirrels 
and  trout  were  served  up  at  the  cottage  every 
day;  and  to  many  a  thrilling  story  did  George 


CONCLUSION.  277 

and  Harry  Butler  listen  while  sailing  up  and 
down  the  river  in  the  old  Speedwell.  Of  all 
the  adventures  of  which  Frank  and  Archie  had 
been  the  heroes  during  their  journeyings  in  the 
Far  West,  they  delighted  most  to  talk  about 
those  which  befell  them  on  the  memorable  uight 
they  spent  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS. 


THE  END. 


FAMOUS  STANDARD 
JUVENILE  LIBRARIES. 

ANY   VOLUME  SOLD  SEPARATELY  AT  $1.00  PER  VOLUMB 

(Except  the  Sportsman's  Club  Series,  Frank  Nelson  Series  and 

Jack  Hazard  Series.). 

Each  Volume  Illustrated.     J2mo.    Cloth. 


HORATIO  ALGER,  JR. 

THE  enormous  sales  of  the  books  of  Horatio  Alger,  Jr., 
show  the  greatness  of  his  popularity  among  the  boys,  and 
prove  that  he  is  one  of  their  most  favored  writers.  I  am  told 
that  more  than  half  a  million  copies  altogether  have  been 
sold,  and  that  all  the  large  circulating  libraries  in  the  country 
have  several  complete  sets,  of  which  only  two  or  three  vol- 
umes are  ever  on  the  shelves  at  one  time.  If  this  is  true, 
what  thousands  and  thousands  of  boys  have  read  and  are 
reading  Mr.  Alger's  books  !  His  peculiar  style  of  stories, 
often  imitated  but  never  equaled,  have  taken  a  hold  upon  the 
young  people,  and,  despite  their  similarity,  are  eagerly  read 
as  soon  as  they  appear. 

Mr.  Alger  became  famous  with  the  publication  of  that 
undying  book,  "Ragged  Dick,  or  Street  Life  in  New  York." 
It  was  his  first  book  for  young  people,  and  its  success  was  so 
great  that  he  immediately  devoted  himself  to  that  kind  of 
writing.  It  was  a  new  and  fertile  field  for  a  writer  then,  and 
Mr.  Alger's  treatment  of  it  at  once  caught  the  fancy  of  the 
boys.  "Ragged  Dick"  first  appeared  in  1868,  and  ever  since 
then  it  has  been  selling  steadily,  until  now  it  is  estimated 
that  about  200,000  copies  of  the  series  have  been  sold. 

— Pleasant  ffoursfor  Boys  and  Girls. 


2          HENRY  T.   COATES  &  CO.'S  POPULAR  JUVENILES. 

A  writer  for  boys  should  have  an  abundant  sympathy 
with  them.  He  should  be  able  to  enter  into  their  plans, 
hopes,  and  aspirations.  He  should  learn  to  look  upon  life 
as  they  do.  Boys  object  to  be  written  down  to.  A  boy's 
heart  opens  to  the  man  or  writer  who  understands  him. 

— From  Writing  Stories  for  Boys,  by  Horatio  Alger,  Jr. 


RAGGED  DICK  SERIES. 

6  vols.  BY  HORATIO  ALGER,  JR.  $6.00 

Ragged  Dick.  Rough  and  Ready. 

Fame  and  Fortune.  Ben  the  Luggage  Boy. 

Mark  the  Match  Boy.  Rufus  and  Rose. 

TATTERED  TOM  SERIES— First  Series. 

4  vols.  BY  HORATIO  ALGER,  JR.  $4.00 

Tattered  Tom.  Phil  the  Fiddler. 

Paul  the  Peddler.  Slow  and  Sure. 

TATTERED  TOM  SERIES— Second  Series. 

4  vols.  |4.oo 

Julius.  Sam's  Chance. 

The  Young  Outlaw.  The  Telegraph  Boy. 

CAMPAIGN  SERIES. 

3  vols.  BY  HORATIO  ALGER,  JR.  $3.00 

Frank's  Campaign.  Charlie  Codman's  Cruise. 

Paul  Prescott's  Charge. 

LUCK  AND  PLUCK  SERIES— First  Series. 

4  vols.  BY  HORATIO  ALGER,  JR.  $4-oo 

Luck  and  Pluck.  Strong  and  Steady. 

Sink  or  Swim.  Strive  and  Succeed. 


HENRY  T.   COATES  &  CO.'S  POPULAR  JUVENILES.          3 

LUCK  AND  PLUCK  SERIES— Second  Series. 

4  vols.  |4.oo 

Try  and  Trust.  Risen  from  the  Ranks. 

Bound  to  Rise.  Herbert  Carter's,  I,egacy. 

BRAVE  AND  BOLD  SERIES. 

4  vols.  BY  HORATIO  ALGER,  JR.  |4.oo 

Brave  and  Bold.  Shifting  for  Himself. 

Jack's  Ward.  Wait  and  Hope. 

NEW  WORLD  SERIES. 

3  vols.  BY  HORATIO  ALGER,  JR.  $3.00 

Digging  for  Gold.     Facing  the  World.         In  a  New  World. 

VICTORY  SERIES. 

3  vols.  BY  HORATIO  ALGER,  JR.  $3.00 

Only  an  Irish  Boy.  Adrift  in  the  City. 

Victor  Vane,  or  the  Young  Secretary. 

FRANK  AND  FEARLESS  SERIES. 

3  vols.  BY  HORATIO  ALGER,  JR.  $3.00 

Frank  Hunter's  Peril.  Frank  and  Fearless. 

The  Young  Salesman. 

GOOD  FORTUNE  LIBRARY. 

3  vols.  BY  HORATIO  ALGER,  JR.  $3.00 

Walter  Sherwood's  Probation.     A  Boy's  Fortune. 
The  Young  Bank  Messenger. 

RUPERT'S  AMBITION. 

i  voL  BY  HORATIO  AI,GER,  JR.  |i.oo 

JED,  THE  POOR-HOUSE  BOY. 

i  vol.  BY  HORATIO  AI.GER,  JR.  $1.00 


HENRY  T.   COATES  &  CO.'S  POPULAR  JUVENILES. 

HARRY  CASTLEMON. 


HOW  I  CAME  TO  WRITE  MY  FIRST  BOOK. 

WHEN  I  was  sixteen  years  old  I  belonged  to  a  composi- 
tion class.  It  was  our  custom  to  go  on  the  recitation  seat 
every  day  with  clean  slates,  and  we  were  allowed  ten  min- 
utes to  write  seventy  words  on  any  subject  the  teacher 
thought  suited  to  our  capacity.  One  day  he  gave  out  "What 
a  Man  Would  See  if  He  Went  to  Greenland. ' '  My  heart  was 
in  the  matter,  and  before  the  ten  minutes  were  up  I  had  one 
side  of  my  slate  filled.  The  teacher  listened  to  the  reading 
of  our  compositions,  and  when  they  were  all  over  he  simply 
said  :  "Some  of  you  will  make  your  living  by  writing  one 
of  these  days."  That  gave  me  something  to  ponder  upon_ 
I  did  not  say  so  out  loud,  but  I  knew  that  my  composition 
was  as  good  as  the  best  of  them.  By  the  way,  there  was 
another  thing  that  came  in  my  way  just  then.  I  was  read- 
ing at  that  time  one  of  Mayne  Reid's  works  which  I  had 
drawn  from  the  library,  and  I  pondered  upon  it  as  much  as 
I  did  upon  what  the  teacher  said  to  me.  In  introducing 
Swartboy  to  his  readers  he  made  use  of  this  expression  : 
"No  visible  change  was  observable  in  Swartboy 's  counte- 
nance. ' '  Now,  it  occurred  to  me  that  if  a  man  of  his  educa- 
tion could  make  such  a  blunder  as  that  and  still  write  a 
book,  I  ought  to  be  able  to  do  it,  too.  I  went  home  that  very 
day  and  began  a  story,  "The  Old  Guide's  Narrative,"  which 
was  sent  to  the  New  York  Weekly,  and  came  back,  respect- 
fully declined.  It  was  written  on  both  sides  of  the  sheets 
but  I  didn't  know  that  this  was  against  the  rules.  Nothing 
abashed,  I  began  another,  and  receiving  some  instruction, 
from  a  friend  of  mine  who  was  a  clerk  in  a  book  store,  I 
wrote  it  on  only  one  side  of  the  paper.  But  mind  you,  he 
didn't  know  what  I  was  doing.  Nobody  knew  it ;  but  one 


HENRY  T.   COATES  &  CO.'S  POPULAR  JUVENILES.          5 

day,  after  a  hard  Saturday's  work — the  other  boys  had  been 
out  skating  on  the  brick-pond — I  shyly  broached  the  subject 
to  my  mother.  I  felt  the  need  of  some  sympathy.  She 
listened  in  amazement,  and  then  said  :  "Why,  do  you  think 
you  could  write  a  book  like  that?"  That  settled  the  matter, 
and  from  that  day  no  one  knew  what  I  was  up  to  until  I  sent 
the  first  four  volumes  of  Gunboat  Series  to  my  father.  Was 
it  work  ?  Well,  yes  ;  it  was  hard  work,  but  each  week  I  had 
the  satisfaction  of  seeing  the  manuscript  grow  until  the 
"Young  Naturalist"  was  all  complete. 

— Harry  Castlemon  in  the  Writer. 


GUNBOAT  SERIES. 

6  vols.  BY  HARRY  CASTLEMON.  $6.00 

Frank  the  Young  Naturalist.       Frank  before  Vicksburg. 
Frank  on  a  Gunboat.  Frank  on  the  Lower  Mississippi. 

Frank  in  the  \Voods.  Frank  on  the  Prairie. 

ROCKY  MOUNTAIN  SERIES. 

3  vols.  BY  HARRY  CASTLEMON.  $3.00 

Frank  Among  the  Rancheros.     Frank  in  the  Mountains. 
Frank  at  Don  Carlos'  Rancho. 

SPORTSMAN'S  CLUB  SERIES. 

3  vols.  BY  HARRY  CASTLEMON.  $3-75 

The  Sportsman's  Club  in  the  Saddle.     The  Sportsman's  Club 
The  Sportsman's  Club  Afloat.  Among  the  Trappers. 

FRANK  NELSON  SERIES. 

3  vols.  BY  HARRY  CASTLEMON.  13-75 

Snowed  up.         Frank  in  the  Forecastle.     The  Boy  Traders. 

BOY  TRAPPER    SERIES. 

3  vols.  BY  HARRY  CASTLEMON.  $3.00 

The  Buried  Treasure.     The  Boy  Trapper.     The  Mail  Carrier. 


6    HENRY  T.  COATES  &  CO. 'S  POPULAR  JUVENILES. 

ROUGHING  IT  SERIES. 

3  vols.  BY  HARRY  CASTLEMON.  f3-oo 

George  in  Camp.  George  at  the  Fort. 

George  at  the  Wheel. 

ROD  AND  GUN  SERIES. 

3  vols.  BY  HARRY  CASTLEMON.  $3.00 

Don  Gordon's  Shooting  Box.      The  Young  Wild  Fowlers. 
Rod  and  Gun  Club. 

GO-AHEAD  SERIES. 

3  vols.  BY  HARRY  CASTLEMON.  $3.00 

Tom  Newcombe.  Go-Ahead.  No  Moss. 

WAR  SERIES. 

6  vols.  BY  HARRY  CASTLEMON.  $6.00 

True  to  His  Colors.  Marcy  the  Blockade-Runner. 

Rodney  the  Partisan.  Marcy  the  Refugee. 

Rodney  the  Overseer.  Sailor  Jack  the  Trader. 

HOUSEBOAT  SERIES. 

3  vols.  BY  HARRY  CASTLEMON.  £3.00 

The  Houseboat  Boys.        The  Mystery  of  Lost  River  Canon. 
The  Young  Game  Warden. 

AFLOAT  AND  ASHORE  SERIES. 

3  vols.  BY  HARRY  CASTLEMON.  $3-oo 

Rebellion  in  Dixie.  A  Sailor  in  Spite  of  Himself. 

The  Ten-Ton  Cutter. 

THE  PONY  EXPRESS  SERIES. 

3  vol.  BY  HARRY  CASTLEMON.  $3.00 

The  Pony  Express  Rider.  The  White  Beaver. 

Carl,  The  Trailer. 


HENRY  T.   COATES  &  CO.'S  POPULAR  JUVENILES.          J 

EDWARD  S.  ELLIS. 

EDWARD  S.  ELLIS,  the  popular  writer  of  boys'  books,  is 
a  native  of  Ohio,  where  he  was  born  somewhat  more  than  a 
half-century  ago.  His  father  was  a  famous  hunter  and  rifle 
shot,  and  it  was  doubtless  his  exploits  and  those  of  his  asso- 
ciates, with  their  tales  of  adventure  which  gave  the  son  his 
taste  for  the  breezy  backwoods  and  for  depicting  the  stirring 
life  of  the  early  settlers  on  the  frontier. 

Mr.  Ellis  began  writing  at  an  early  age  and  his  work  was 
acceptable  from  the  first.  His  parents  removed  to  New 
Jersey  while  he  was  a  boy  and  he  was  graduated  from  the 
State  Normal  School  and  became  a  member  of  the  faculty 
while  still  in  his  teens.  He  was  afterward  principal  of  the 
Trenton  High  School,  a  trustee  and  then  superintendent  of 
schools.  By  that  time  his  services  as  a  writer  had  become 
so  pronounced  that  he  gave  his  entire  attention  to  literature. 
He  was  an  exceptionally  successful  teacher  and  wrote  a  num- 
ber of  text-books  for  schools,  all  of  which  met  with  high 
favor.  For  these  and  his  historical  productions,  Princeton 
College  conferred  upon  him  the  degree  of  Master  of  Arts. 

The  high  moral  character,  the  clean,  manly  tendencies 
and  the  admirable  literary  style  of  Mr.  Ellis'  stories  have 
made  him  as  popular  on  the  other  side  of  the  Atlantic  as  in 
this  country.  A  leading  paper  remarked  some  time  since, 
that  no  mother  need  hesitate  to  place  in  the  hands  of  her  boy 
any  book  written  by  Mr.  Ellis.  They  are  found  in  the  lead- 
ing Sunday-school  libraries,  where,  as  may  well  be  believed, 
they  are  in  wide  demand  and  do  much  good  by  their  sound, 
wholesome  lessons  which  render  them  as  acceptable  to  parents 
as  to  their  children.  All  of  his  books  published  by  Henry 
T.  Coates  &  Co.  are  re-issued  in  London,  and  many  have 
been  translated  into  other  languages.  Mr.  Ellis  is  a  writer 
of  varied  accomplishments,  and,  in  addition  to  his  stones,  is 
the  author  of  historical  works,  of  a  number  of  pieces  of  pop- 


8          HENRY  T.   COATES  &  CO.'S  POPULAR  JUVENILES. 

ular  music  and  has  made  several  valuable  inventions.  Mi . 
Ellis  is  in  the  prime  of  his  mental  and  physical  powers,  and 
great  as  have  been  the  merits  of  his  past  achievements,  there 
is  reason  to  look  for  more  brilliant  productions  from  his  pen 
in  the  near  future. 


DEERFOOT  SERIES. 

3  vols.  BY  EDWARD  S.  ELLIS.  $3.00 

Hunters  of  the  Ozark.  The  Last  War  Trail. 

Camp  in  the  Mountains. 

LOG  CABIN  SERIES. 

3  vols.  BY  EDWARD  S.  ELLIS.  $3-oo 

Lost  Trail.  Footprints  in  the  Forest. 

Camp-Fire  and  Wigwam. 

BOY  PIONEER  SERIES. 

3  vols.  BY  EDWARD  S.  ELLIS.  $3-oo 

Ned  in  the  Block-House.  Ned  on  the  River. 

Ned  in  the  Woods. 

THE  NORTHWEST  SERIES. 

3  vols.  BY  EDWARD  S.  ELLIS.  $3-oo 

Two  Boys  in  Wyoming.  Cowmen  and  Rustlers. 

A  Strange  Craft  and  its  Wonderful  Voyage. 

BOONE  AND  KENTON  SERIES. 

3  vols.  BY  EDWARD  S.  ELLIS.  $3.00 

Shod  with  Silence.  In  the  Days  of  the  Pioneers. 

Phantom  of  the  River. 

IRON  HEART,  WAR  CHIEF  OF  THE  IROQUOIS. 

i  vol.  BY  EDWARD  S.  ELLIS.  |i.oo 

THE  SECRET  OF  COFFIN  ISLAND. 

i  vol.  BY  EDWARD  S.  ELLIS.  $1.00 

THE  BLAZING   ARROW. 

I  vol.  BY  EDWARD  S.  ELLIS.  |r.oo 


HENRY  T.    COATES   &   CO.'S  POPULAR  JUVENILES 


J.  T.  TROWBRIDGE. 

NEITHER  as  a  writer  does  he  stand  apart  from  the  great 
currents  of  life  and  select  some  exceptional  phase  or  odd 
combination  of  circumstances.  He  stands  on  the  common 
level  and  appeals  to  the  universal  heart,  and  all  that  he  sug- 
gests or  achieves  is  on  the  plane  and  in  the  line  of  inarch  of 
the  great  body  of  humanity. 

The  Jack  Hazard  series  x>f  stories,  published  in  the  late 
Our  Young  Folks,  and  continued  in  the  first  volume  of  St. 
Nicholas,  under  the  title  of  "Fast  Friends,"  is  no  doubt 
destined  to  hold  a  high  place  in  this  class  of  literature.  The 
delight  of  the  boys  in  them  (and  of  their  seniors,  too)  is 
well  founded.  They  go  to  the  right  spot  every  time.  Trow- 
bridge  knows  the  heart  of  a  boy  like  a  book,  and  the  heart 
of  a  man,  too,  and  he  has  laid  them  both  open  in  these  books 
in  a  most  successful  manner.  Apart  from  the  qualities  that 
render  the  series  so  attractive  to  all  young  readers,  they 
have  great  value  on  account  of  their  portraitures  of  American 
country  life  and  character.  The  drawing  is  wonderfully 
accurate,  and  as  spirited  as  it  is  true.  The  constable,  Sel- 
lick,  is  an  original  character,  and  as  minor  figures  where  will 
we  find  anything  better  than  Miss  Wansey,  and  Mr.  P.  Pip- 
kin, Esq.  The  picture  of  Mr.  Dink's  school,  too,  is  capital, 
and  where  else  in  fiction  is  there  a  better  nick-name  than 
that  the  boys  gave  to  poor  little  Stephen  Treadwell,  "Step 
Hen,"  as  he  himself  pronounced  his  name  in  an  unfortunate 
moment  when  he  saw  it  in  print  for  the  first  time  in  his  les- 
son in  school. 

On  the  whole,  these  books  are  very  satisfactory,  and 
afford  the  critical  reader  the  rare  pleasure  of  the  works  that 
are  just  adequate,  that  easily  fulfill  themselves  and  accom- 
plish all  they  set  out  to  do. — Scribner's  Monthly. 


JO        HENRY  T.  COATES  &  CO.'S  POPULAR  JUVENILES. 

JACK  HAZARD  SERIES. 

6  vols.  BY  J.  T.  TROWBRI  GE.  $7-25 

Jack  Hazard  and  His  Fortunes.    Doing  His  Best. 

The  Young  Surveyor.  A  Chance  for  Himself. 

Fast  Friends.  Lawrence's  Adventures. 


ROUNDABOUT  LIBRARY. 

For  Boys  and  Girls. 
(97  Volumes.)  75c.  per  Volume* 

The  attention  of  Librarians  and  Bookbuyers  generally 
is  called  to  HENRY  T.  COATES  &  Co.'s  ROUNDABOUT 
LIBRARY,  by  the  popular  authors. 

EDWARD  S.  ELLIS,  MARGARET  VANDEGRIFT, 

HORATIO  ALGER,  JR.,  HARRY  CASTLEMON, 

C.  A.  STEPHENS,  G.  A.  HENTY, 

LUCY  C.  LILLIE  and  others. 

No  authors  of  the  present  day  are  greater  favorites  with 
boys  and  girls. 

Every  book  is  sure  to  meet  with  a  hearty  reception  by 
young  readers. 

Librarians  will  find  them  to  be  among  the  most  popular 
books  on  their  lists. 

Complete  lists  and  net  pi-ices  furnished  on  application. 


HENRY  T.  COATES  &  CO. 

1222  CHESTNUT  STREET 

PHILADELPHIA 


3  1158  00699  5509 


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